Clara and Matt’s story began back in 2015 when Matt was visiting friends from college at the Jersey Shore, and Clara was home from college after finishing her junior year at High Point University.

A charatible organization stickball tournament hosted by Matt’s college buddy was the reason Matt made the trip up to New Jersey. It just so happened that Clara’s and Matt's friends would be going to the same bar scene on Friday night where they would meet for the first time! When attempting to explain what stickball was, (kind of like baseball, but with a broomstick handle as a bat) Matt was very quickly given the nickname of ‘Quidditch Boy’ by Clara's friends. Numbers were exchanged, and again, the next night, both friend groups would be heading to the same beach bar!

On Sunday morning before heading back to Virginia, Clara and Matt met at the beach where they got to go for a short walk together. Matt left for Virginia with a Jersey Girl on his mind and Clara had a Virginia boy on her mind! Over the next year, Clara and Matt’s relationship grew from occasionally keeping in touch, to a few visits mixed in where Clara would be in the DC area visiting her sister Leslie. Later, Matt would make a couple visits to High Point University to watch Clara play lacrosse in her Senior year! In July 2016 they were a couple!

At first it was a long distance relationship. While Matt was living in Arlington Va. Clara would live in Philadelphia Pa, Owatonna Mn, and Annapolis Md, before ultimately moving in together in Arlington. During those years Matt and Clara found they could easily travel together and went on several incredible domestic and international trips. Fast forward to June 2022, Clara and Matt made the huge decision to purchase a home together in New Jersey in the town of Little Silver. In July, Matt asked Clara to go for a walk on the beach prior to some dinner reservations. (A beach where they had been so many times before, including that Sunday morning all those years ago.) Matt got down on one knee and asked the Love of his life to marry him.

Things to Do

Hughlett Point Natural Area Preserve

Shopping in Downtown Kilmarnock

Reedville Fishermen's Museum