In the spring of 2016, Anna was a freshman at the University of Richmond and joined a friend from high school on a tour of campus. Despite Anna encouraging her to pick a different tour guide, her friend picked Mike's tour group. On the tour, Anna noticed Mike's sense of humor and energy and thought he was cute.

Flash forward to the fall when Mike was studying abroad in Dublin. Anna became friends with Mike's good friends Kyle and Catharine who promised to set them up when Mike returned, but they never did. Despite crossing paths and a few (unmemorable according to Mike) introductions, Anna and Mike didn't truly meet until the fall of 2017.

The first week of school, their mutual friend Matt asked each of them to be color war captains for their respective grades. At a bar the first night out, Anna saw Mike and decided there was no time like the present to shoot her shot. She went up to Mike, re-introduced herself, and asked if he was also a color war captain. After some competitive bantering (Anna competitive? never!) the two made a friendly wager: the loser of color wars would have to buy the winner lunch every time they saw each other on campus (specifically at Tyler's, Mike's favorite and Anna's least favorite campus dining establishment). Mike asked for Anna's number (real smooth!) to ensure he could cash in on his prize and the two went about their respective evenings. Later that night, Mike texted Anna asking if he could buy her a drink. Then when trying to gauge if Anna was into him, Mike asked if she was "chinchillen" (translation: are you having fun with me). Anna said she was chinchillen and the rest is history.

Since that night, the two of them have been together, despite Mike's color wars victory and their friends worrying about their collective volume levels. From finishing college and being long (really just an inconvenient) distance, to building a life together in DC, Anna and Mike have become best friends. In the last 6+ years, they've navigated new jobs, traveled together, gotten close with each other's friends and family, and in May 2022, moved in together.

In the fall of 2022, Mike decided he wanted to propose. After months of scheming, his plan was ready: he got a coworker to email Anna that she had extra tickets to a show, then photo shopped fake tickets to a real show, and then casually told Anna they should get drinks before the show. He popped the question in March 2023 on the roof of the Kennedy Center in DC; Anna's favorite place where the couple has made countless memories together. Mike then surprised Anna even more with their parents, siblings, and a few close friends.

They are so excited to keep the celebration going. Anna's family has had a long, meaningful relationship with Cape Cod and over the course of their relationship, Mike has grown to love the Cape as well and the two have shared some of their happiest moments there. They are so excited to start the next chapter of their lives at a place that means so much surrounded by their favorite people.

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