They say fate brings people together and that could not be truer for our love story. Mutual friends brought us together via social media. Shelby couldn’t resist commenting on a picture of Rio, “the cutest dog with a beautiful mother”. Shelby was living in Delaware; Ana in Florida. The first time we met in person, we knew we were destined to be together. And the rest is history. Something about being raised in different countries but still having the same morals and values drew us closer together and knew we had a love story that was getting ready to unfold. The type of love we have is one that people only hope to find throughout their life.

Italy has always been the epitome of romance and dreams coming true to me.  While I was hopeful that I’d make it there at some point in life, never did I expect to be able to share the experience with the absolute love of my life, let alone find that one person to begin with.   Almost immediately upon meeting Ana, I knew that she was the one.  And I knew that I wanted to do something for her that was almost as unbelievable as she is. Lucky for me, she shared my dream of an Italian getaway.   I began planting seeds more than a year in advance, in hopes of keeping my proposal intentions disguised as a fun sightseeing trip.  Once the flights were booked, I went into full research mode to find the best possible location to pop the question. My first thought was Rome since it’s known as the ‘Eternal City’, but something about the mountains (which Ana loves) running right into the sea (which I love) along the Amalfi Coast kept calling to me.   I discovered the ‘Terrazza dell'Infinito’ or ‘Terrace of Infinity’ in Ravello, the highest point on the coast, and knew that was the spot.  In an ancient little town with no car access, but more charm, history, and breathtaking views than one could ever imagine.  The challenging part was that we couldn’t get here until almost a week into our trip – cue the anxiety.   Last minute execution definitely wasn’t smooth sailing – I had to change dates due to weather; figure a way to skirt the surprise $1800 fee for taking professional photos at a world heritage site; convince Ana that we should take a bigger bag so that the ring box would fit, and then having to stop her from trying to wear said bag that morning.     With the last minute change to photography plans, I knew I had to get us to the terrace as early in the day as possible in order to avoid crowds.  Unfortunately, Ana didn’t know this and insisted that we have coffee in the piazza before sightseeing.  My nerves continued to mount as she leisurely enjoyed every sip and instagrammed our views.   As we finally made our way to the terrace, through the stone castle architecture and lush hanging gardens, Ana grabbed my hand and said that she wanted to marry me in this place. While my heart almost exploded, that was the moment my nerves melted away to pure excitement and joy.   There, in the most romantic place that I’ve ever been, looking at the most breathtaking views I’ve ever seen, with someone who trumps all of that, I handed Ana a leather journal that I had secretly been keeping of our love story, opened to the latest entry.  As she finished reading, with tears in both of our eyes and hands shaking so much that we couldn’t get the ring on, I got down on one knee and asked the easiest question of my life. Lucky for me, she said yes!

I knew I wanted to marry Shelby just a month into our relationship. It might sound crazy, but there was something so magical about how two people, born and raised on completely different continents, could share so many values, beliefs and traditions. It felt like the universe had conspired to bring us together, and I couldn’t ignore it. From the start, I knew—she was the one. If you know me, you know I’m a storyteller at heart. The best way I express my feelings is through illustrations. So, when I decided to propose, I wanted it to be deeply personal, something that reflected our unique story. I shared my plan with one of my best friends, unsure how to pull it off, and she sent me an idea she’d seen online a flipbook proposal. That sparked something in me. I didn’t just want to make a flipbook; I wanted to create a short film an animation that would tell the story of us. Our love story deserved it. I mean, what are the odds? I lived in Florida, she lived in Delaware, and yet, through mutual friends, our paths crossed. It’s one of those “small world” moments that still amazes me. I started sketching out the frames, carefully crafting how I wanted to tell the story. But let me tell you, keeping it a secret while working on 600 illustrations wasn’t easy! For weeks, I disappeared into my little art cave, sneaking in every spare moment to work on it. By the end, I had spent over 60 hours creating an animation that captured all the little moments that made us, us. But then came the next challenge how do I show this to her in a way that feels just as special? That’s where Shelby’s incredible friends came in. They’re like sisters to her, and they were so excited to help. Together, we transformed our backyard into a cozy, magical outdoor movie theater. Fairy lights, blankets, the whole works. Coming back from dinner one night, I led Shelby to our backyard, and there it was: a big screen, ready to play the animation I had poured my heart into. We sat there together, watching the story of us unfold. And when the animation ended, I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me. It was everything I hoped it would be intimate, meaningful, and filled with love. Shelby deserves the best, and that night, I like to think she felt just how much she means to me.