We're Getting Married!

Our story truly first began when we first met as kindergarten students in Mrs. Weber's class in 2000 and again in Mrs. Hastings' 3rd-grade class in 2003. As they say, third time's a charm, when we crossed paths again in our senior year of high school in 2012 where we had AP Environmental Science and gym together. Who knew all it would take for us to meet again was an AP class about the various birds of New Jersey? Through mutual friends we began talking with many late-night witty text conversations. After a short period of talking (mostly through text as Nicole told Pat not to be "weird in person"), Pat asked Nicole to be his girlfriend on 1/19/13 in the Bridgewater Sports Arena parking lot after a high school hockey game. And, yes, we still can name a long list of birds and their field markings, though none of that information was on the AP test.

We decided to head down to one of our favorite places, Pat's family beach house on Long Beach Island, for the long weekend and to celebrate our upcoming dating anniversary on 1/19/22. On the Saturday over the long weekend, Pat encouraged Nicole to go to the Barnegat lighthouse, despite the freezing temperatures, with the promise he would take her shopping afterwards (spoiler alert: we did not go shopping afterwards). When we arrived, Pat took Nicole right next to the bay in front of the lighthouse to enjoy one of our favorite spots. Before she knew it, Pat was down on one knee asking Nicole if she would marry him. With frozen tears on her eyelashes, Nicole said yes and was pleasantly surprised to find out Pat had hired a photographer to capture the whole thing. After lots of hugging and excitement, we got to do a mini engagement shoot at the lighthouse to commemorate the special day! We spent the rest of the day laughing, crying (okay, just Nicole on this one), and calling our families and friends to tell them the exciting news. We ended the day with an amazing dinner at one of our new favorite spots, Salt Kitchen at Hotel LBI!