Moss Farms Winery

Engagement Party

Wedding in Sedona, AZ

Ceremony

Reception

Our Wedding

Chase and I met on an online dating app in June of 2021. At first, I thought little of it. We were both on the app partly to pass time and because it was unsafe to socialize in public; neither of us were expecting anything serious to come of it. And nothing may have, had I not mentioned to a wonderful friend of mine, Sadie Varlas, that I matched with a boy from her town - Wheeling, West Virigina. Sadie told me Chase was cute and normal, and that I should go out with him. After confirming that we were both vaccinated, we arranged to meet in at an outdoor cider brewery in Pittsburgh's Lawenceville neighborhood. Neither of us were living in the city at the time, but it was an area I knew well. True to form, I was 45 minutes late to our first date. Miraculously, Chase didn't leave, and when I arrived, he was sitting in the garden with a glass of ginger cider. I remember hesitating before walking through the doors to meet him; not out of doubt, but because I was suddenly overcome with the uncanny feeling that my life would change. That first date lasted seven hours. Over the next few months, we explored our parts of Pennsylvania and West Virginia, including a memorable few hours spent lost in Coopers Rock State Forest. In August, I moved back to Pittsburgh to resume in-person grad school classes. By Chase's birthday in September, I knew I loved him. Fast forward to March 2022. At that time, Chase and I knew that we would spend our lives together, but did not have immediate plans to get engaged. I was still living in Pittsburgh, and one weekend, Chase mentioned that my 19-year-old cat, Timon, was not looking well. We lost him two days later. It was his time, but I fell apart entirely. Timon was the reason my heart beat; he was woven into the fiber of my bones. And Chase peeled me off the floor. He never wavered, taking care of everything logistic and never flinching at the most repellent parts of death. He'd said it and shown it before, but I knew then that he loved me deeply.

In the Beginning

A few days after Christmas 2023, Chase mentioned offhandedly, hey, I made a reservation at that restaurant you like, Monterey Bay. He said it so casually that while I immediately thought hes going to propose! I talked myself out of it. The next ten days or so were a roller coaster (and we all know how I hate roller coasters!). I would say yes, but would he ask? And we almost did not go to the restaurant at all; the week before, we both came down with horrible colds and spent New Years Eve wrapped in blankets and surrounded by tea and tissues and cough drops. But then, around January 3, Chase again, very casually, said You may want to do your nails. Naturally, I fell into a complete frenzy, and by the time we drove to the city on the 5th, I had half-way lost my mind. Chase knows how achingly I have missed Pittsburgh since moving to Wheeling in January 2023. He pays attention to things, and his memory runs deep. Several years ago, I declared dinner at Monterey Bay the best meal of my life. He remembered. And he respected my two requests for a proposal: not at Christmas, and not in front of other people. When we arrived on Mount Washington, we stopped at the overlook outside the restaurant. It was dark outside, and the city was alight. As the few other onlookers drifted away, Chase took a ring box from his pocket and dropped to one knee. He told me I was his world and asked me to marry him. Hyperventilating and crying and exclaiming, I said yes. That night was the best of our lives. We know how much we cherish one another, but such an evening, so warm and full a declaration - we could not ask for more.

A Pittsburgh Proposal

~ Gathering and holding those we love ~ Practicing kindness and empathy toward one other and every person we encounter ~ Family - we cannot wait to be parents! ~ Making and experiencing art in all its forms ~ Traveling to new places and finding where our roots will grow ~ Animals - have you met ours? ~ Laughter - Chase makes me laugh every single day, and I could not be more grateful for him ~ Nurturing and supporting one another as a couple and as individuals in every facet of our lives

Emily & Chase

Emily & Chase

Registry

Your love and support are more than enough for us. However, if you'd like to contribute something extra, please consider donating to our house and honeymoon fund.