Future Mr. & Mrs. Silva

If you don't already know the full story of how Nick and I came to be, grab a drink and settle in... Nick and I actually went to the same high school, Nick was a senior and I was a sophomore. At the time, he had a girlfriend, and I was busy juggling sports, work, and everything else that comes with being a teenager. We were both involved in a volunteer organization called TEAM, and at the end-of-year banquet, I spotted this tall, handsome guy dancing with his friends... I turned to my friend and asked who he was. All she could tell me was that his name was Nick and that he played football. So what did I do? I jumped onto the dance floor and started dancing right behind him. Nick's response? He immediately moved to the opposite side of the circle, as far away from me as possible... I later learned he had a girlfriend. (Good job, Nick.) That was the first and last time we saw each other. Nick went off to college, and I completely forgot about him. (Sorry Nick.) Fast forward, I was a freshman at Rowan University, still figuring out college life, when one night I walked into the gym and literally walked right into Nick. Our jaws dropped but we both kept walking. When I got back to my dorm I immediately checked his social media and discovered he was no longer in a relationship. Unfortunately, I had just started dating someone myself. Two days later, I received a message from Nick on Instagram: "I see you go to Rowan and hope you're adjusting well. If you need any help or guidance, don't hesitate to reach out. As we're both Toms River North kids." Smooth, right? The timing couldn't have been worse because I had literally just gone Facebook official with my new boyfriend. In fact, Nick even liked my relationship status before sending another message assuring me he wasn't trying to interfere and was simply being friendly—which, to be fair, was completely true. Two weeks later, I broke up with that boyfriend on Thanksgiving. That same day, I sent Nick a simple message: "Happy Thanksgiving! Hope you have a great day." And just like that, our story began. After Thanksgiving break, Nick offered to drive me back to Rowan so my mom wouldn't have to make the trip. When my mom dropped me off at his house, I was greeted by his entire family waiting outside; mom, dad, brother and twin sisters. Talk about an introduction! We spent the entire hour and a half drive talking. By the time he dropped me off at my dorm, I had a feeling this was going somewhere. Our "first date" wasn't exactly glamorous. Nick picked me up from class with all four of his roommates, and we went to Chick-fil-A. Thankfully, our actual first date was much better. (LOL) When Nick finally decided to make things official, it took him about 20 minutes of standing outside in the freezing cold to actually ask me out. But he got there eventually. ;) We spent two amazing years together at Rowan before Nick graduated and entered the real world. Even after graduation, he drove down almost every weekend for two years to visit me at school. During that time, grew together and figured out how to make long distance work. After graduation, I started my career, and Nick and I spent nearly two years searching for our first home. On February 7, 2025, we finally became homeowners! Since then, we've poured countless hours into transforming our house into a home. After months of renovations & projects, Nick finally got down on one knee and sealed the deal. Hook, line, and sinker at Island Beach State Park. 😉 Then, on our 9-year anniversary, I woke up, looked at Nick and said: "I am not marrying you after 10 years, so we're getting married before or on our anniversary." And well... here we are. We can't think of a better way to celebrate both our wedding day and our 10-year anniversary than by spending it with the people we love most. Thank you for being part of our story. We can't wait to celebrate this incredible milestone with all of you! 🥂