A match made in Hinge heaven, Anthony and Elizabeth met on the dating app and the following Saturday met for their first date at Ada’s on the River in Old Town Alexandria, VA. January 21st, 2023 was a chilly night that neither of them knew would change both of their lives. The conversation was easy, the connection was instant, and the rest is history. It was fun and so romantic, neither of them wanted the night to end. They felt this was something very special from the beginning. Three weeks into dating, Anthony came back from a work trip to Boston with a fresh box of Mike’s Pastries cannoli, and Elizabeth knew right there she found the one (kidding but not really). March 4th 2023, after the Old Town St Patrick’s Day parade, Anthony made it official and asked Elizabeth to be his girlfriend at her favorite wine bar, Barca. Elizabeth met Anthony’s mom Janet for the first time on April 8th, celebrating Easter weekend, and then the rest of the Fontana family on April 28th, at his sister’s rehearsal dinner. The next day, April 29th, while tearing up the dance floor at Jess and Pete’s wedding, the couple said “I love you” for the very first time. The rest of the year was filled with so many firsts. The couple took their first road trip from Virginia to Cape Cod for Anthony to meet Elizabeth's family, which was supposed to be a 9 hour drive but turned into 14 hours, and still managed to enjoy each others company (even sitting in stand still Connecticut traffic). Over the summer they cheered on the Mets and the Red Sox when they were in town to play the National’s. In October the couple took their first of many trips to New York City and Elizabeth experienced her first Comic-Con. While the first year was filled with countless happy memories, it was also a year of resilience. From layoffs to losing Elizabeth’s dear Aunt Connie, the couple was tested time and time again but always came out stronger and more in love, proving that this is a partnership that can outlast and rise above anything life throws at them. The second year of dating was also filled with milestones and growing closer as a couple. Anthony and Elizabeth moved in together to a townhome in Alexandria VA on March 1st, 2024. They celebrated Anthony’s 30th birthday with a couples trip to Miami with their friends Frank and Jen. The couple also spent their first holiday season together in 2024, Thanksgiving with Elizabeth’s family and Christmas with the Fontana families.

While there were countless great days the first two years together, Thursday, April 3rd 2025, was the best day ever!!! The couple took a half day from work to, what Elizabeth thought, have an early birthday celebration for her 30th in Old Town Alexandria, before her family came into town the next day. The first few hours were spent at all of Elizabeth’s favorite places: lunch at her favorite French restaurant, shopping at her favorite store Anthropology, and window shopping at their favorite furniture store. Then they went down to the waterfront and went to her favorite wine bar, Barca, the same place where Anthony had asked her to be his girlfriend two years ago. At 6:30pm on the dot, Anthony said “let’s go for a walk!” The walk was ten steps to the right of the wine bar, and then he started his speech. With shaking hands and a huge smile, Anthony took the ring out of his pocket, got down on one knee, and asked Elizabeth to marry him! Once Elizabeth picked her jaw off the floor after seeing the ring, she said yes!! So excited, she didn’t even notice the photographer snapping pictures of this special moment that Anthony had arranged! They called their parents and then had a full photo shoot to celebrate this special moment! They ended the perfect night with dinner at the place where it all started, Ada’s on the River.