meet us out east

John and Alyssa met in February of 2022 in Savannah, GA two weeks before John rapidly deployed to Germany. Alyssa was in town visiting her brother John (so many Johns) and his wife Rachel. Turns out they lived up to their matchmaker title. In a bar with sticky floors, Packers fans and cheap pickleback shots, Alyssa met the man she would soon call her husband. During that short time they had before deployment John took Alyssa on as many dates as he could (of course with John Gallagher’s blessing) and it felt like they had known each other their whole lives. While John and Alyssa were unprepared to meet each other, it was clear in those two weeks everything for them had changed. When John got to Germany, he walked countless miles every night to find signal to make sure he could call. He quickly became the most loyal customer to Alyssa's local florist. He found ways to "date" long distance. With no return home date they weren't sure what the next few months held, but what they did know was they were sure of each other. Fast forward 6 months and Alyssa is back in Savannah waiting for John at Fort Stewart, Chick Fil A in hand, picking up right where they left off. This day is a core memory close to their hearts (blacking out the part when John's car wouldn't start and Alyssa broke his garage door on the way there). They spent the next two months in Savannah with their closest friends enjoying being back together. Alyssa turned 29. They learned new things about each other. They FaceTimed with their families. They ate ice cream every day. They talked about their plans for the future. And then they said goodbye to Savannah. Come October 2022, Alyssa made the decision to pack up her life in a single suitcase and bought a one way ticket to be with John in Richmond, VA to finish out his military career. What might have sounded like a slightly rash or too fast decision for some, sounded for them to be exactly what they needed. Alyssa never had one hesitation getting on that plane. Every part of her knew John was her person. Richmond was their peak love story. They experienced a new place together. John ended his 10 year military career to explore new opportunities. They decided where they wanted to settle. They grew together. After a year and a half of trying every restaurant, coffee shop and brewery they could find, John was offered a job they couldn't pass up so they chose to add a new pit stop to their long term plan and made their way back to the state where it all started - Atlanta, GA. If you told anyone that Alyssa would spend time living in Atlanta they would have said there is no way her North East blood could ever deal with that humidity. Turns out with some great hair product and a bit of alcohol, even a girl from Boston can survive the Georgia heat. In January 2025, the Gallagher family received the devastating news of Paul’s Stage IV Cholangiocarcinoma diagnosis. Without hesitation, John and Alyssa made the decision to end their Atlanta chapter early and move back to Boston to be close to family. They have spent the last six months navigating this new normal and having difficult conversations, but, most importantly, leaning on each other in a time when life doesn’t seem fair. They have had the challenge of balancing some of the saddest days of their lives alongside the happiest. There are no words to sugarcoat the journey this has been for them, but if they know anything, it’s that there is hope, there are miracles, and there is power in prayer. Above all else—they have waited their whole life for each other, but there is gratitude and meaning in life taking its time with them. Now more than ever, they know what a gift it is to have this kind of love.