Richie was on his annual Montauk trip with family friends he’s known since childhood, and I was invited to hang out with them for the day through mutual connections. We already kind of knew each other (he used to casually slide into my Facebook DMs back in middle school–very smooth), and because we grew up in neighboring towns, our circles had always overlapped. We spent the day hanging out with everyone and at some point, Richie and I ended up talking just the two of us for the rest of the night. We hit it off instantly. Conversation just flowed, and there was an immediate connection. Richie wasn’t exactly single at the time (oops), and I was about to start my junior year of college. The timing wasn’t ideal but things shifted quickly. We kept talking and it became very clear this was something worth doing long distance for. We’ve been together ever since. Fast forward eight years together, one apartment, countless memories, and one very spoiled chocolate lab later… Richie proposed in Montauk on August 9th, 2024, bringing everything full circle. We’re so excited to finally make it official and can’t wait to celebrate with all of you.