Darren & Kassandra met on Hinge in the summer of 2022. Kassandra was new to Boston, only having lived in the city for about 10 months when they met. Darren however had spent most of his life in the Boston area, having grown up on the north shore in Boxford, where his parents still reside. Kassandra had moved to Boston for her career, but also in hopes of finding love. Darren had finished dental school the year prior and had found himself happily working at two practices - one in Lynnfield and one in Marblehead. The one thing missing from his life was a partner to spend his life with. 


Darren and Kassandra’s first date was June 22nd 2022, at Sarma in Somerville. It was one of Kassandra’s favorite places, and nearly impossible to get a last-minute reservation. However, Darren made it happen! Now anyone who knows Kassie knows that she is quite literally never on time, but by some miracle that day she had showed up to their date fifteen minutes early! As the hostess sat her, she made sure to choose the seat at their table with a view of the door and waited patiently for Darren to arrive. No more than five minutes later, Darren arrived. When he walked in the door her very first thought as she laid eyes on him was “now that is a husband”. She remembers thinking how odd of a thought that was, and that she’d never thought anything like that in her life yet somehow that is the first thing that popped into her head. She didn’t know if they’d get on or not, or if he’d be HER husband, but she could tell from first sight that Darren was very special.


That night Darren stole Kassandra’s heart, and she did the same. They talked for hours and shared delicious food. They told each other all about their entire lives, and soon found that they shared a very similar upbringing and so many of the same values. They echoed the importance of their family, ambition, exploration, spontaneity and the desire to have a family of their own. That night, they shut the place down. Neither of them wanted the night to end. When it was time to say goodnight, Darren walked Kassandra to her car - which was conveniently parked right outside in a non-parking spot. This had earned her a $50 parking ticket which she had become accustomed to since moving to Boston. Darren later paid that ticket as a romantic gesture, since after all it was the night that he met the love of his life. They shared their first kiss right there in front of her car. That beautiful summer night Kassandra drove home with the convertible top down with a feeling in her heart that she had found ‘the one’. She felt crazy that only after a few hours she was so sure, and little did she know her heart had told her the truth. 


Darren and Kassandra were inseparable from that day on, and exactly eight days later Darren went over to Kassandra’s apartment in Dorchester, and he never left. They joke that they will tell their kids that he came over on a Thursday and never left, but that is exactly how it happened. They talk about it even today, how amid all those newfound love butterflies there was just a feeling of calm and knowing. Literally, when you know you know. Kassandra always thought that saying was nonsense, but she sure is a believer now. They lived in Kassandra’s apartment through the end of August when her lease was up and then they moved to his apartment in Medford while they looked for a place of their own. They lived in Medford for three months before moving into their current beach front apartment in Revere, the day after Thanksgiving 2022.


Their apartment in Revere is where they first created a home together and it will forever hold a special place in their hearts. This is especially true because it is also where Darren proposed. On the morning of Thursday April 6th 2023, Darren told Kassandra that he thought they should go to dinner that night at a nearby steak house that they hadn’t tried yet. They had both been sick with a bad cold leading up to this, and Kassandra was still fighting to get over it at that point. Her work schedule was finally free that day, so she had plans to rest up by sleeping in, in hopes she would feel better for the upcoming Easter weekend with their families. She agreed dinner would be nice, and as Darren left for work, she went back to bed. Well, she sure slept because she didn’t wake up until 2pm that day! Darren had been texting her throughout the day to see how she was feeling but hadn’t heard back and was slightly worried she wouldn’t feel well enough for his plans that night. However, when she woke up at 2pm she felt so much better and was happy that she could take her time getting ready for their 630pm reservation.


Darren got home from work that day around 6pm with a gift - a beautiful mini orchid plant! Darren knows she loves plants and flowers, so it was the cutest surprise. He was very surprised to find that Kassie was already ready - again she’s never on time! He’s gotten in the habit of telling her reservations are a half hour earlier than they are. He eventually told her the reservation wasn’t until 730. He said that since the weather was nice, they should go sit by the fire pit in the courtyard overlooking the ocean. Kassie noticed it was the first day their apartment complex had planted all the beautiful spring flowers in the courtyard, and the sky was a perfect cotton candy pink - it was divine. Kassandra couldn’t get her coat on quick enough, she was so excited to be feeling better and to have such a cute date night with the love of her life. She had absolutely no idea what was coming! 


When they made their way down to the courtyard, Darren went to set up his phone to record a video. They often film cute little videos together, so she thought nothing of it. Within a few minutes Darren was down on one knee, and it was the most perfect proposal she could’ve asked for. Just the two of them, exactly how she pictured it would be one day. After the proposal, Darren had one more surprise up his sleeve. He hurried into the communal kitchen area to grab the bottle of champagne that he had snuck down there earlier that day. They enjoyed a glass of champagne next to the fire pit overlooking the ocean, just the two of them for a few moments of private celebratory bliss before calling their loved ones. Part of the magic that night, was that it was a full moon. Anyone who knows Darren and Kassie knows that they have a thing for full moons. When they first met, on full moon nights, they would sit on the couch on the private roof deck of her apartment in Dorchester and talk for hours about aspirations and life. Darren said “I love you” for the very first time on that roof deck under a full moon. He had specifically planned their engagement to be on a full moon, and ironically it was also a Thursday. Playing to the “I came over on a Thursday and never left”. It was such perfect timing for them to be able to celebrate with all their family that Easter weekend. Now, they will get married on a full moon night, which also happens to be the longest day of the year - the summer solstice 6.21.24.