let’s celebrate

Brad and Shea now live in Bend, OR with their beloved Husky/Great Dane (Minka) and Tabby cat (Moose), but they should have met far before they did. While Brad attended Wentworth Institute of Technology and lived on Calumet Street in Boston, Shea attended Northeastern University and lived on Cherokee Street, a brisk two-minute walk away from one another. In the three years they lived near each other, they never met (probably for the best), until they'd graduated and matched on Bumble - a dating app where the woman has to message the man first. Fortunately, Shea found Brad's profile interesting enough to warrant a message. A short conversation led them to Legal Seafood Harborside after work on a Wednesday. By the time Brad found Shea at the outdoor table she'd chosen, she was in conversation with another couple about a buoy in the harbor that looked suspiciously like a dead body. Less than 10 minutes later, Brad shared that he feared he was balding (as you all now know, he was correct). Several hours later, Shea realized she forgot her apartment keys at work and had to return to Reebok Headquarters at 11:00pm to retrieve them, sending Brad a triumphant picture of her in the office with her keys just hours after meeting him. Less than two months later they moved in together, and Brad and Shea have spent nearly every day together ever since.

Two weeks before Brad and Shea moved across the country to Oregon, they took one last East Coast adventure and drove to Acadia National Park in Maine. Brad had assured Shea that they would be engaged when they moved, so he left Shea with limited options to wonder. Somehow, he still managed to surprise her when he made her wake up at 3am two days in a row to watch the sunrise, but claimed Shea "needed to be dressed for the day" on Day 2. When a man (who claimed to be there to photograph birds) asked if he could take a picture of them for his blog, Shea quickly took off her heavy coat, Brad (nearly) cried, and they were engaged!

Thank you. Over our 30 years of life, you have played a crucial role in shaping us. You've raised us, laughed with us, made mistakes with us, cried with us, and you've helped us become the people that we are today. Your guidance has been instrumental in our journey, leading us to this very moment. This wedding and this marriage would not be possible without your support and your love. So, again, thank you. Now, let's celebrate!