We’re getting married!

Going through a tricky financial time while kick-starting her career and starting her life in Charlotte, NC, Lisa was in search of a roommate in her new home. Back in 2017, there was no other major online platform to advertise such a thing… except for good ol’ Craigslist. After sifting through a mass of emails, she found a few decent prospects, but nothing panned out. She almost gave up when she found an old email from Mike Sergi, who was the only one to actually describe himself in a well-written manner (got to love a man who follows directions). Mike had recently moved down to Charlotte from upstate New York for a new job opportunity and was living with his close friends, Nate and Anja. While that was a great situation for Mike, his friends were starting a family and he wanted a shorter commute to work, so he was casually browsing online for a new housing situation when he came across Lisa's ad. They met at a local coffee shop and Mike met the “children”, Charlie & Goose, who hit it off right away. It seemed like a good fit, so right after the first of the year, Mike moved in! Mike’s local friends were super warm and welcoming to Lisa, who found herself spending nearly every weekend with them, having a great time. Mike was a wonderful roommate and loved the dogs like his own. It was only a (short) matter of time before they broke the ice and started dating. The rest is history! (Yes, Lisa is still Mike’s “landlord” :) )

Even before we were engaged, we had talked about our ideal wedding. To us, it wasn’t about the dress, flowers, decor, cake, but rather about being able to “vacation” with all our family and friends. Everyone says that the wedding day goes by too fast and it is a blur. Well, just like this engagement, we are in no rush! All we want for our “big day” is for it to be a big vacation! We originally were looking for a large venue with lodging in the blue ridge mountains where we go to vacation every year, but when nothing fit the bill, we decided to broaden our search radius. A few friends had recommended eloping or a destination wedding, which sounded like fun. Because Lisa is not a beach person, we were setting our sights on Europe. One of the first American-friendly all-inclusive destinations that caught our eye was a venue in Aurland, Norway. The photos are breathtaking, the culture is inviting, and since we had already planned on a honeymoon in Europe this gives us the opportunity to combine our wedding and honeymoon all in one trip, at a great time of the year. We chose mid-August as this is right on the edge of peak season in this area, so the weather will be good but travel costs will not be quite so high. We also chose a Thursday wedding so guests can plan their flights on Tuesday, which is the cheapest travel day of the week. We know this trip is a lot to ask, so we have planned every detail to make it most accommodating to everyone's budget and schedule as best we can. We truly hope you all can join us not only for our wedding day, but can stay a while and enjoy Europe.