WE'RE GETTING MARRIED!

Growing up in our small town of New Fairfield, CT, we went to school with the same 240 kids from kindergarten through high school. Even so, it wasn't until Mr. Finlayson's honors pre-calc class sophomore year that we truly met & got to know each other. Steph messaged Chris on Facebook to ask a question about the pre-calc homework (Steph insists now that she didn't actually need his help). From there, we began talking more and more in class & texting. It wasn't long until Chris asked Steph to go to the movies...10/10 first date, 0/10 movie (seriously do not recommend Jack & Jill). A couple weeks later, on December 23rd, 2011 (yes, on best man Vincent Schiro's birthday), Chris decided to ask Steph out. Chris texted Steph to meet him at her locker. He asked her out and she said yes… through a mouth full of cookie cake and red frosting. Lovely. We started dating that day, and never stopped. We began growing our lives together and were there for all of each other’s milestones. From high school to college, to new jobs, law school, and everything in between, we’ve always been by each other’s side – even when we were a few states apart. It wasn’t always easy being long distance, but that made it all the more worth it in the end.

Fast forward to May 2021. We had been living together now for almost a year. Chris had just finished law school. And Steph had no idea that Chris had been hiding an engagement ring in his sock drawer for weeks. Steph absolutely loves the beach and we have always enjoyed walking along the beach across from her parents’ house. This just felt like the right spot to ask her. Chris had a cookie cake made with red frosting that said “Say Yes?” because he has always liked to make fun of her for having red frosting all over her mouth when he asked her out in high school – so of course more red frosting had to be involved this time too. When the weekend of the proposal finally came, Chris was a nervous wreck. He really wanted to do it at the beach, but the forecast called for torrential downpours the entire weekend. The entire drive to Old Saybrook it poured. It poured all day Saturday. It poured all day Sunday. Chris kept the ring in his pocket the entire time waiting for any break in the rain. Finally, that break came on Monday morning. Chris snuck the cookie cake out of the fridge in the basement where he had been hiding it all weekend and pretended that it was actually a late birthday cake for Steph, whose birthday had been a few days before. He suggested taking a walk down to the beach to sit and enjoy it. Steph was so not about that idea. The weather was still gross, and she felt like Chris was being so weird about this walk (come to find out the reason why a few minutes later). She finally agreed to go, and the whole family including Charlie followed along. It was a pretty quick walk across the street to get down to the beach. At this point Chris felt like his chest was going to explode. When we got down to the beach, Steph noticed suddenly that her family had quietly dropped back and they were alone. That was when Chris asked her to marry him. He was so nervous he’s still not sure exactly what he said – but we know Steph said yes.