this has always been an unprecedented love story

While Wes and I had crossed paths through mutual friends a couple times that summer, the night I invited everyone over to my small West Village apartment before going out was really the beginning. I entertained everyone with homemade guacamole and a pitcher of margaritas (I still have the pitcher from Crate & Barrel, which is why you won't find one on the registry!). Little did I know that providing food and drink would leave a lasting impression on Wes. Later in the evening, Wes realized he had left his phone charger (TG we've moved on from the days of work phones and personal phones) at my apartment. We headed back to my place with the intention of meeting up with everyone after, but ended up spending the rest of the night talking, followed by the rest of the summer, and well, the rest is history.

With our senior year of college, two years of long distance and two years of putting down roots in NYC behind us, we knew it was time to take the next step. I had a feeling where Wes was going to propose since we always joked that we fell in love in Washington Square Park, so I would always *slightly* panic whenever we were in the area. It was a cool September Saturday, a week after we competed in the Sag Harbor Triathlon. Wes invited me on a "Lit Picnic," something we had hoped to do for a while, and of course I agreed. I figured I should wash my hair and get my nails done just in case, but vowed not to be disappointed in the event we didn't end up in the park I had in mind. I picked up sandwiches from our favorite spot, Lamazou, and walked to his apartment in Union Square. When I got there, Wes grabbed a (REAL!) picnic basket and we headed out the door. Where were we headed? Washington Square Park. Wes claimed that he wanted falafels from Mamoun's on MacDougal, so I was focused on the task at hand. We passed tourists and performers throughout the park, but then I spotted a young guy playing a grand piano and asked why anyone would ever bring a piano into the park. Wes said we should ask him, and we stopped to hear him play. The pianist made eye contact with me and looked back to the keys, and then I knew something was coming. The next notes were the beginning of a song I've always said I want to walk down the aisle to - Nuvole Bianche by Ludovico Einaudi. I looked over and Wes is already on one knee, pulling the most beautiful ring from none other than the picnic basket. I said yes about a thousand times and then we popped champagne in the same spot we fell in love.