We’re getting married!

Sondra and Sean first met on move-in-day at the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School apartments. Sondra and her mom were bringing her things up in the elevator when Sean and his dad hopped on the elevator with them. Sondra noticed Sean’s Boston College tee-shirt and they talked for a minute about how she had gone to Notre Dame, BC’s rival. When Sean and his dad got off on his floor Sondra’s mom leaned over to her and said “he’s nice, you could date him.” Sondra rolled her eyes. This was a frequent comment from Mrs. Corgan about any man roughly around Sondra’s age. The two interacted occasionally after that but it wasn't until their first year anatomy & physiology class that they really got to know each other. They were placed together in a lab group of 6 (which included Sondra's now-bridesmaid Arpana, and Sean's now-groomsman Omar). They became good friends during the long hours spent studying in the anatomy lab. In their second year of medical school Sean asked Sondra out for their first date at Raymond’s in Montclair, NJ. After that they enjoyed spending lots of time together studying, cooking and traveling together.

Sean had planned a weeklong trip for Sondra and himself to the island of Kauai in Hawaii for the first week of April 2020. He planned to propose under a picturesque waterfall after a scenic hike through the national park. As April approached the COVID-19 pandemic gripped the US. Sean's plans, and back up plans, for a trip together had to all be cancelled. With no other option the two decided to make the best of their time off together in their place in Philadelphia. One evening that week Sean suggested they get take-out from Del Frisco’s Steakhouse, which unbeknownst to Sondra he had pre-ordered days ago. The two picked up their dinner and ate on the rooftop of their building overlooking the city skyline in 55 degree weather, trying to pretend they were somewhere warmer. Sondra suspected he might propose after dinner but then Sean brought out a new card game to play and she figured her suspicion was wrong. When they returned to their apartment Sondra opened the door to see that their place had been transformed into a Hawaiian paradise with flowered leis, grass skirts, pineapples and palm tree decorations everywhere (including a grass skirt on their old dog Bailey). When she turned around Sean got down on one knee and proposed. And she said yes!