In December of 2018, Renee and some friends skipped out on the end of their class to attend a lip sync event at the Montclair State University Student Center. This event was hosted by a fraternity, and after the lip syncing ended, one of the members was introduced to sing for real-- Alex White. Immediately, Renee took a video to send to her sister, Lianna, and raved about how absolutely handsome she thought this boy was...AND he could sing?! A dream come true! Lianna pushed Renee to go speak to him, but she was way too nervous and left the event without introducing herself. She saved the video of him singing and left for the night without even knowing his real name (the frat brothers know he was strictly referred to as his nickname at that time). Fast forward to February of 2019, Renee's sorority and Alex's fraternity had a combined party. Of course Renee noticed Alex right away, and according to Alex's brothers, he noticed Renee, as well. The two spoke a bit at the party, sharing a drink and a laugh, but parted ways after. Not wanting to give this opportunity up again, though, Renee took the leap and followed Alex on Instagram the next day (a modern love story!) Soon after, Alex accepted the friend request and messaged Renee, realizing from her page that she grew up in the town next to him! Small world! Some flirtatious conversation followed, and Alex ended up inviting Renee to a get-together at his campus apartment. Nervous as anything, Renee attended, and the rest is history. From that day forward-- February 16th, 2019-- the couple spent nearly every day together. When Alex graduated and Renee remained at MSU, the two made a point to see each other as frequently as possible. During the COVID lockdown, the couple visited one another in person for as long as possible, and when one or the other's family got sick, they had "driveway dates" and would stay 20+ feet apart and enjoy one another's company. Finally, after pandemics and graduations and careers came and went, the two bought their first house together in August 2022. A definite work in progress, they turned it piece by piece into their home. They soon after adopted their first fur baby, Hazel, in May 2023. And then the most exciting part: the proposal. Alex brought Renee to their favorite spot in Red Bank, Riverside Gardens Park, to look at the boats as they had done many times before. It was November, so it was of course FREEZING, and every boat was wrapped and stored away. Renee thought Alex was crazy for this idea, but remained totally unaware of his true plans. He had Renee turn her back for a photo facing the water, and when she turned back around, he was down on one knee. The answer was the easiest Renee ever gave (after, of course, yelling "what the hell" and asking "are you joking?"). Then it was an easy "yes!" Since then, Alex and Renee have adopted another dog, Sage, and continued the adventures of wedding planning, house renovations, career changes, and creating a beautiful and happy life together! Who knew all of this would come from campus event, a college party, and an Instagram follow-- through all of this, they found their soulmates. And now begins the next incredible chapter in their lives as Mr. and Mrs. White! *All photos and videos from this story can be found under the "Our Story" tab at the top of the web browser!