Our 2nd wedding anniversary celebration!

We can't wait to celebrate our marriage with family and friends two years to the date from our mini, beach, COVID, Zoom wedding. It's been a long journey! Read our story below.

On a year-long backpacking trip, Maz visited a friend in Ayutthaya, Thailand, where Stef happened to be living. They attended the local English teachers' Trivia Night and Maz was assigned to Stef's table. After debating and collaborating to win the night, Stef invited Maz to attend her birthday dinner the next night. There, he graciously declined the impossible-to-find-in-Thailand Pinot Grigio her mom had so magically delivered, citing that one bottle was not enough to share between five people. (Stef was very interested in getting to know him better.)

They messaged like pen pals while Maz toured South East Asia and met back up four months later in Krabi, Thailand. Four sunsets, three hours of karaoke, two amazing Indian dinners, and one jellyfish sting later, they realized they found something special. When Stef mentioned she wanted to backpack through Europe before returning to the US, she tried to act really cool when Maz said he would join her. An overnight train brought them to their final destination: Bangkok. Maz brought Stef's giant suitcase all the way to the subway for her connection to the airport, neither one of them knowing if they'd see each other again.

Maz came to the US for a friend's wedding in Boston, conveniently flying through NYC. He met Stef's family and friends, quietly fielding questions from everyone so eager to meet him. Finally they set off on the anticipated six-week tour of Europe: England, Belgium, France, Italy, and Greece. On this trip, they discovered that Stef was very good at scheduling, Maz was very good at packing, they both really enjoy gelato, and spending every minute together was something they could do forever.

Though they had been apart for most of their time together, nothing quite prepared them for Mumbai to NYC's 10.5 hour time difference. Thankfully FaceTime and iMessage kept them in close touch in the mornings and evenings. Sending photos, memes, and voice messages for the other to receive when waking up and planning brunches on weekends so they could drink together. Through the sleepy calls and sappy texts, they courted each other with little gestures and always counted down the days until their next visit. They learned that love really is work and you have to try everyday.

After Stef's NYE visit to India, they waited four months for their reunion in Cebu, Philippines. Maz popped the question first thing in the morning in their hostel bedroom, quite fitting for this travel couple. Stef was not surprised at the question, but very concerned that Maz was kneeling on tile and quickly said "Yes!" Funny enough, their hostel had Trivia Night that exact evening. They won :)

Maz and Stef made up all the time apart when the pandemic left them isolated together in a one-bedroom apartment. Maz's MBA program went virtual, Stef's arts center shut down, and worse than that, there was no end in sight for Maz to see his family again. Not wanting to delay their marriage any longer, they tied the knot on Long Beach Island, NJ, redefining a "small" wedding. A few friends, no family, and a hundred people on Zoom, they had a beautiful, calm, unforgettable sunset wedding. (But we missed you all!)

At long last our family and friends from all over the globe will come together to party! We hope you can make it! With love, Stef and Maz