Let's get weird together

Vera and Matt met by coincidence on a chilly evening in October. Matt and his friend Nicole had planned on going out to a Halloween Boston Harbor cruise and had tickets for a few weeks. Since it was intended to just be a fun, ridiculous night, Matt donned his infamous pink suit, hat, and shoes. They reached the cruise and danced for an hour or so before Matt needed a break. He went to the quieter bottom deck to take a short break, and there he noticed a stunning woman talking at a table nearby. She began to walk by and he tipped his glass to her. To his immense surprise, she sat down next to him and they began talking. That woman was Vera, who was only on the ship because her friend Vicky had convinced her to come. She had only been in the United States for about two months and this was one of her first big nights out in Boston. So she had thrown together a Katy Perry costume out of duct tape, stickers, and a tutu, unaware that it was what she'd be wearing when she met her future husband. The couple spent the whole cruise together, dancing, drinking, and talking through the night. It was still early, but both knew that there was something special about the other. They knew this was going someplace great.

The couple had been dating for over a year-and-a-half by now. They had discussed what might happen in the future, and with Vera planning on moving into Matt's apartment in the fall, Matt knew it was the right time to ask her for her hand. He went down to Mexico to visit for the week and asked Vera's mother to hire a photographer, since he knew they would want to cherish that moment forever. So it was arranged for a photographer to wait for them for half an hour that Friday, on an ocean pier behind the new symphony hall in Boca del Rio. However, they almost didn't make it in time! It was a surprise meant for Vera, which means she had no idea that something incredible was about to happen. She thought the only thing that was happening that night was dinner with her friends, and didn't think they had anywhere to be before then. So she slowly got ready, making sure she looked perfect for the night, while Matt paced restlessly in the living room, the ring in his pocket. She finished getting ready with about five minutes to spare before the photographer was scheduled to get there. They had planned on walking down to the pier to "take pictures," but because they were running so late, Matt decided to get a cab to drive them to the hall. They got there just in time; all they needed to do was go to the pier so he could propose. However, as they were walking past the symphony hall, Vera decided she wanted to go inside. Without a good reason to say no, Matt obliged, and then a polite volunteer offered to give them a tour. Again, Matt didn't have a good reason to say no. So they went on a tour, with Matt's nerves becoming more and more wracked every second. The tour concluded with five minutes left before the half hour was up. Matt convinced Vera to go out to the pier with him, signalling the photographer as he passed by. When they reached the end, Vera said she felt nervous but didn't know why. Matt smiled, got down on one knee, and asked his question. She said "Si."