JoePo and Tori’s story began in the most unexpected place: at work. Fresh out of college, Tori was starting her first job, learning the ropes of the professional world. JoePo, on the other hand, was the newcomer being interviewed for a job, and fate had a sense of humor—it paired the two of them together for a task that was, let’s just say, unusual. As part of his interview, Joe was asked to teach Tori how to perform power cleans. It didn’t take long for Joe to realize that Tori was going to be the most frustratingly stubborn (and endlessly amusing) person he’d ever met. Tori’s first impression of Joe? Well, it wasn’t until she witnessed him pull out a Ziploc bag stuffed with 20 meatballs at lunchtime—eating them like candy—that she realized this guy was the most interesting person she’d ever encountered. Over time, their daily interactions evolved from casual conversations to something more—constant laughter, endless inside jokes, and a shared mission to find a McDonald’s where the McFlurry machine wasn’t broken. Tori had to have her Shamrock Shake to celebrate “the day of her people,” and Joe would never say no to ice cream. Their lunch breaks soon extended into dinners at Applebees after work, and it was clear there was more than just friendship brewing. Eventually, Joe made his move. He asked Tori out on a real, proper date: dinner and bowling. The dinner spot was a quaint pizza place in Yonkers. Tori was charmed when Joe confidently stepped up to the counter and ordered a large cheese pizza—thinking he was ordering for the two of them—only for Joe to turn to her and ask, “And what do you want?” The bowling alley that followed was anything but fancy, yet it was perfect in its own way. True to his competitive nature, Joe didn’t let Tori win or use the bumpers—setting the tone for a relationship built on playful rivalry and mutual teasing. The dates kept coming, and on May 3, 2015, Joe came to his senses and made things official, asking Tori to be his girlfriend. Nine wonderful years later, on August 31st, 2024 in the stunning setting of Newport, RI, Joe FINALLY got down on one knee. As Tori was busy taking sunset photos of their beloved dog, Rory, Joe popped the question. Her response was as quintessentially Tori as it gets: “About damn time!” Now, here we are, exactly a year after the proposal, ready to celebrate the next chapter in our journey together. We can’t wait to bring the Poletsky and McKenna families together to finally seal the deal and officially say, "I do."