Alyssa's Version:

We met the modern way—on a dating app—but the universe had a plot twist in mind. Turns out, Josh grew up with the childhood friends of my college roommate (hi Lauren!). So basically, fate (and the algorithm) were working overtime.

Our first date? Nothing fancy—just quesadillas on a Wednesday night. We almost bailed because our schedules were chaotic and we barely had time to chat beforehand. But we showed up, talked for hours, and at the end of the night, Josh almost kissed me… and botched it. (Don’t worry, I gave him a do-over. You're welcome, Josh.)

We’ve been officially together since April 2016 and have truly been through it all—especially once we moved into that house in January 2020. What was meant to be a cute rental quickly turned into something out of a sitcom (or maybe a horror film): unpredictable plumbing, surprise rodent guests, and a general sense of “how is this legal?”

We lived there for four chaotic years and somehow came out stronger (and maybe slightly more feral). If that’s not love and commitment, we don’t know what is.

Along the way, we’ve navigated big career shifts, heartbreaking losses, and all the ups and downs life throws your way. Through it all, we’ve remained each other’s home.

Then came Snoop. In December 2024, we adopted our puppy—a sweet, hilarious little guy who is almost aggressively indifferent to the world around him. Snoop (yes, like Snoop Dogg) is unimpressed by literally everything except snacks and naps. He quickly became the center of our universe—and whether he likes it or not, he’ll be walking down the aisle as our ring bearer.

The proposal? Josh got down on one knee at Taconic Distillery, surrounded by some of our favorite people. They tricked me into taking a photo with our friends’ son, Matteo, then swapped him out for Josh. And just like that, we were engaged.

Now, after nearly a decade of love, laughter, missed kisses, haunted plumbing, and one very unimpressed dog—we can’t wait to celebrate this next chapter with all of you.

Josh's Version:

It was the start of a cold, blustery winter in 2015 when I swiped right. We matched, started chatting, and quickly planned a date. As that date got closer, we both ended up canceling. Fast forward to our second attempt—this time I had to cancel because of work… although Alyssa didn’t even know we had a date planned.

They say the third time’s the charm, and this time it really was. We scheduled another date and finally met in person.

It was a Tuesday night, and we went to dinner at Café Maya. To this day, it was hands down the best date I’ve ever been on. We talked for hours—I don’t even think we drank. We hit it off so well that I barely touched my quesadilla. And for those of you who know this story, yes, I still regret not taking my leftovers home. That quesadilla would have absolutely slapped later that night.

When I got home, I was buzzing with excitement. My dad asked how the date went, and I told him how amazing it was—how we talked all night. When he found out she worked in the medical field, he said, “Don’t get your hopes up… she’ll marry a doctor.” Well… look at me now.

That was ten years ago, and I’ve never looked back. From darties at Mellis, to scrubbing Phil and Deb’s driveway, to the Rat King of Spring Valley, to bringing home the best dang pup in the world—she has been my partner in everything. I couldn’t have asked for a better girlfriend, best friend, fiancée, and very soon, wife.

I pray every day that she keeps laughing at my bad jokes and never realizes that I’m really not that good-looking. 😊