Our story begins the way any great story does... a girl and a boy walked into a bar. We met at our favorite local dive bar—shoutout to Instant Replay—and started hanging out as friends. Of course, we all know how that usually goes. But for Mike, the “friend stage” ended up lasting six months longer than he’d hoped. After asking Bri not once but twice to be his girlfriend (and her politely dodging the question both times), he wasn’t quite sure where this was headed.

Everything changed on February 19, 2018, during a random adventure to the Liberty Science Center in New Jersey. That day, we made it official: boyfriend and girlfriend. From there, life turned into one big adventure. Together, we’ve explored science museums and amusement parks up and down the East Coast, hiked the Grand Canyon, jumped out of a plane together, camped with family and friends, fished the waters of Long Island, went to countless sporting events, and started our own traditions, like cutting down our Christmas tree each year. Mike learned to ski (and survived), and we’ve shared countless meals, laughs, and memories at restaurants and bars along the way.

Then, on January 11, 2024, during a special dinner for Bri's 30th birthday, Mike got down on one knee and asked her to marry him. Her response? A mix of “holy shit, holy shit, oh my god,” and finally... a “yes!” And here we are, ready to start the next chapter of our lives together.