Holly and John met for the first time in June 2018 at CAMP-of-the-WOODS in Speculator, NY. During Orientation Week, Holly and John first introduced themselves at a music staff meeting. John was immediately smitten with her. After some small talk, they had their first real conversation at a staff bonfire a week later. Holly soon confessed to one of her friends that she could not stop thinking about him and quickly found out that he liked her! Their friend Jisang (who was instrumental in bringing Holly and John together) started a “singles bible study.” Interestingly enough, the only two people who showed up to the first study were John and Holly. The study opened the door for deep and meaningful conversation which led to fast friendship. On the night of July 7, 2018, John and Holly went star gazing, and John asked Holly out on their first date to Logan's Bar & Grill. By July 11, they decided to pursue a committed relationship. They made wonderful memories that summer at the beach and under the stars and especially enjoyed travel to NYC, Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts, and Saratoga Springs, NY. August 18 was a day they were both dreading. They had to say goodbye and return to their respective schools. Holly was to return to Eastman School of Music in Rochester and John to the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore where he studied trumpet performance. Their first of many reunions took place two months later in Baltimore. John and Holly said they loved each other for the first time, and it was during this visit that they both knew that their relationship was going to be forever. There were many more visits that year with trips to Baltimore, Philadelphia, Rochester, Milwaukee, and NYC. Long distance tested their endurance (and sometimes their sanity!), but it was distance that brought them closer together. After New Years 2019 John officially asked Holly's father for her hand in marriage.

Holly and John had discussed getting engaged, but Holly had no idea when he would pop the question. John was in cahoots with Holly's best friend Lydia who helped him plan a proposal that aligned with some of Holly's special requests. Unknowingly, Holly planned her own proposal! Lydia made arrangements to borrow a camera and planned a fun photo shoot with Holly. John was planning to visit Rochester that weekend, but unbeknownst to Holly he planned to show up a day early. In the days leading up to the proposal John was in the middle of auditioning for grad schools and had to lie about where he was to avoid suspicion. His phone camera was also conveniently “broken” so that Holly couldn't see where he was over FaceTime. On the day of the proposal he received a text saying that his flight to Rochester was cancelled. John was devastated. He had no way of getting to Rochester without a car. Thankfully, John's dad was able to leave work early and they both drove through a snowstorm to Rochester. Lydia, who was aware of the situation, was nervous on the way to the shoot, but Holly thought she was worried about the camera dying or the sun setting too soon. Holly still suspected nothing. Upon arriving at Lake Ontario Beach Park it was a brisk 15 degrees. The sky was overcast and the sun was setting which made for perfect lighting. There was nobody around, but Holly soon noticed a man coming towards the pier. “That’s odd,” she thought, "why would anybody else be here in the dead of winter?” Soon enough the man removed his hat and Holly looked up to see John walking towards her with open arms. It was the surprise of her life. Immediately everything made sense and she knew exactly what was going on. After a sweet embrace, John said “Holly, I love you so much and want to spend the rest of my life with you.” He then got down on one knee and asked “will you marry me?” She said YES!