Let’s set the scene: Halie and Ethan were first introduced in December of 2017. Katie Dawson was a fellow pharmacy student and Halie’s great friend from high school. Katie was dating Bryce Grohol, Ethan’s roommate and great friend who also happened to be a fellow pharmacy classmate of Halie’s. Halie was in the car with Katie on their way to Katie’s Southside house to set up for Katie’s end of the fall semester Christmas party when they stopped to pick up Bryce and Ethan from their Southside house on the way. Halie and Ethan’s introduction was very brief during this 2-minute car ride as Halie only recalls Ethan saying, “I got cookies and a speaker” to everyone in the car.

Soon after, Katie and Bryce began conspiring to set up Halie and Ethan. When spring break rolled around in March of 2018, Halie and Ethan were signed up for the same trip. Katie invited a few of her college besties, which included Halie while Bryce invited his college buddies, which included Ethan! While many of the memories from this trip are blurry, great friendships were formed or strengthened between this entire group.

This trip is where Halie met Kyle Kapcin, who is now a great friend of both Halie and Ethan. Halie grew closer with Ryan Raible, another fellow pharmacy student, who spent a lot of time hanging out with Halie and Ethan in their Southside house during the remaining college years! Halie became closer friends with Zach Neal, which quickly blossomed into a best friendship! Zach is who eventually introduced Halie to Nina Collavo, who is now one of Halie’s best friends!

Basically, without Katie and Bryce planning this spring break trip, NONE of this would be happening. Special shout out to Drs. Katie and Bryce Grohol, who are now happily married!

When Spring Formals rolled around, the obvious choice was for Halie to ask Ethan. As always, they were attending in a group with Katie and Bryce! There were back-to-back formals on the calendar. Halie’s professional pharmacy sorority, Lambda Kappa Sigma, was up first on Friday April 14, 2018. After a large amount of drinking and dancing, the group of four headed back to “home base”, Bryce and Ethan’s Southside “frat” house. That night Ethan asked Halie to be his girlfriend, and she’s pretty sure she said yes! The following weekend was Bryce’s professional pharmacy fraternity, Phi Delta Chi, formal in Niagara Falls. Again, the same group of four drove up to Canada for another weekend of drinking and fun. As last-minute additions, Halie and Ethan got the luxury accommodations of a deflated air mattress on the floor of Katie and Bryce’s room at the classy “Thrift Lodge”.

As you can tell, this group of four spent a lot of time together. So, it should come as no surprise that Halie and Ethan’s first date was a double date with Katie and Bryce at the Rivers Casino brunch buffet. Katie and Ethan spent the entire date waiting in the omelet line while Halie and Bryce drank the entire mimosa pitcher. Halie and Ethan’s first official date ALONE was at the Cheesecake Factory in Southside. Halie vividly remembers trying to assert her dominance by finishing her entire pasta dish before Ethan. This is obviously what hooked Ethan.

----------

Throughout the rest of their time in the Southside of Pittsburgh while attending Duquesne, Halie and Ethan became inseparable. The couple found most of their joy from spending time with friends. They made visits to Halie’s family (45 minutes at most) and Ethan’s family (6 hours to NY or NC) whenever they could! With each passing day, Halie and Ethan continued to strengthen their love through Taco Bell dates, singing (or should we say screaming) Justin Bieber, and playing games that Ethan would never let Halie win!

From there they decided to move into a duplex together further north of Pittsburgh. Halie and Ethan then adopted Pongo - the BEST BOY! After Ethan finished his master program at the University of Pittsburgh and Halie was finished with her last year of classes at Duquesne, the now trio moved even further north into a house owned by their good friend, Hunter Stiehler. Who doesn’t love moving to a different place every year? Halie’s dad and her moving crew (her Uncle Chris and cousin Matt), that’s who!

After Ethan’s first year teaching and Halie’s year of pharmacy rotations, Halie graduated with her Doctor of Pharmacy degree. The trio decided that would be the best time to make an even bigger move and they headed down to North Carolina!

----------

From moving in together, rescuing a dog, graduating college, and relocating to NC, it all came back to The Cheesecake Factory in Southside Pittsburgh. Ethan offered to take Halie to an early birthday dinner July 14, 2023, at the Cheesecake Factory, per their usual tradition. Halie and Ethan were in PA visiting from NC for Halie’s birthday, so Halie was not suspicious…yet. Halie was certain she packed appropriate clothes 5 minutes before they set to leave NC, but she will turn out to be wrong for the first and ONLY time ever in her life!

After delaying getting ready for dinner and putting on jeans, Halie’s sisters bullied her into wearing one of Tarah’s dresses that they had strategically already planned on Halie wearing. Being her usual self, Halie made numerous jokes about not wearing this or that unless Ethan was proposing, to which Ethan and her sisters exchanged frightened looks in fear that they had all been caught. Halie actually had no idea but did say while Ethan was looking for “socks” in his suitcase, “are you looking for the ring you hid in there?”, but again, Halie was completely joking and had no clue.

After a lovely dinner - where Halie was finally able to eat after two days of being brutally hungover thanks to Ethan’s brother Brendon - Ethan took Halie down to the riverside trail. Halie had already planned to meet up with bestie Nina and her then boyfriend, now fiancé, Jamie with their dog and Pongo's bestie, Baxter. Halie’s sisters begged her to let them watch Pongo, which while odd since Halie had asked them several times in the past to watch him and even offered to pay to which they always declined or made excuses; she brushed it off in her two days without food delusion. Halie also already knew she was meeting up with their besties Rachel and Sam Richter as well, so when Ethan said they were meeting them on the river trail, Halie thought that sounded like something those two would do as they also lived in Southside.

Right before Halie and Ethan rounded the corner to the orchestrated proposal, a streetlamp went out and Halie said to Ethan “are you taking me down here to kill me?”. The couple walked under a walkway bridge where there were marquee letters spelling “marry me” with rose petals scattered on the ground. Halie’s initial thoughts were that Ethan is an idiot for walking her past someone else’s proposal on the eve of her birthday, but then Ethan turned to her and “started saying nice things”. Halie threw her purse and leftovers then ripped the claw clip out of her hair once she realized this was all for her. Tarah, Halie’s youngest sister, jumped out from behind a bush with her camera, frightening everyone there but luckily capturing every moment! Ethan said a few nice things that neither him nor Halie can remember to this day, then got down on one knee and asked “the most amazing person he’s ever met” to marry him! Halie responded with “absolutely!” before sealing the proposal with a kiss, which made both of Halie’s sisters uncomfortable - HAHAHA!

When Halie turned around, Pongo was running down the ramp to give her a big kiss! Halie was feeling overwhelmed with emotion and was so happy to see her Pongo baby! Following Pongo was Brienne, Trevor, Rachel, Sam, Nina, Jamie, and Baxter! Halie and Ethan were so excited and felt blessed to have such important people surrounding them for such an important moment! Halie was so excited and overjoyed she had to immediately sit down. The couple then popped champagne and the numerous photo directors (Rachel, Nina, Brienne, and Tarah) had the couple posing until the sun finally set.

Everyone was set to go out and celebrate, but Halie wanted to go home and go to bed. Halie, Ethan, and Pongo headed back to her parents’ house where they proceeded to call everyone they knew to share the great news! When Halie woke up the next morning, on her 27th birthday, she couldn’t believe she was actually engaged to the man of her dreams!

Shortly after their engagement, Halie and Ethan found a house they loved in Mooresville, NC that they then made into their home! Halie works as a Pharmacist for Walgreens, typically at the store less than 5 miles from their home. Ethan works as a high school science teacher at Mooresville High School, also less than 5 miles from their home. Pongo gets to enjoy his big fenced in backyard and loves when visitors come down to NC, even if that means he must share one of the guest room beds!

Halie and Ethan couldn’t be more thrilled to celebrate their love with everyone important to them! They look forward to seeing everyone on the big day!!!