How They Met

The short version:

They matched on Tinder, she said: "Hey Ari! We're twins!" He said: "[insert perverted joke here]!! :)" ...And the rest was history.

The long version:

They met for a drink at his friend's beer launch party. Within 5 minutes of meeting, and 30 seconds of sitting at a table, he told her: "I'm divorced and I have two children. I understand if you don't want to finish your beer." She thought, Well, he is cute, and leaving would be rude..., so she stayed. By the end of the night, they were quizzing each other on math riddles. Needless to say, they both had a great time!

They went out again, ...and again, and again, and again... For one year, 11 months, and 11 days, ...until he couldn't take her mother's nagging any longer! Which led to...

The Proposal

On the evening of September 8, 2016, he began preparations for the proposal at her parents' beach house. He spent the next 18 hours sprinkling 4,000 silk rose petals and placing 100 votive candles around the house, and spelling out "Will You Marry Me?" on the back lawn using 500 glow sticks.

He picked her up from the train in Westbrook at 6PM on September 9, drove back to the house, and carried her bags to the front door. She used her keys to open the door, and she lost her breath.

The rose petals and candles led her from the front door up the stairs to a balcony overlooking the ocean and back lawn. Standing together on the balcony with their song playing through speakers in the house, he told her she is the love of his life, already the stepmother to his children and the best thing that ever happened to him.

...And the rest was history.