Hilary and Michael met in September 2020 in the heart of New York City. Their first date started in Midtown West, where they savored delicious food, bonded over common interests, and laughed over childhood memories. Following an afternoon filled with endless conversation, they decided to extend their date by spontaneously renting a Vespa to explore the city. What started as strangers meeting each other for the first time, became one of many unforgettable adventures in their love story.

The feeling I had after our first date was unforgettable because it was unlike anything I had ever felt before. I had millions of thoughts running through my mind, being nervous yet excited to have found someone I could immediately see myself traveling the world and enjoying life to the fullest. It was clear that every second I spent with Hilary, I felt like nothing else in the world mattered.

Anyone who’s ever met Michael can agree that he has a charm that can light up any room. Not only was I drawn to his charismatic demeanor, but I was also impressed by his interest and existing knowledge of my culture. Growing up in Salt Lake City, I rarely met non-Filipinos who had tried Filipino food. I was surprised when Michael was able to name several Filipino dishes and even share his interest in visiting the Philippines to 1) learn how to surf and 2) retire and open a jetski rental business. Listening to him talk about pieces of my culture made me feel loved, as it was a conversation topic I wasn’t used to discussing. As our date was coming to an end, I was shocked to hear him say, “So, what should we do next?”, I jokingly told him I wanted to ride scooters around the city, to which he responded, “Well, let’s do it!”. I fell in love with his spontaneous and fearlessness nature and instantly knew that he’d be someone who’d always bring excitement and a sense of adventure into my life.

Our first trip out of the country made the picture of our relationship clearer than ever. When your soulmate reciprocates the same energy for fearless exploring, adventuring, trying different foods, and never for a second making you feel like you aren’t where you’re supposed to be in life, you know you’ve found someone special. Regardless of being 10,000 miles from home, out of my comfort zone, and exploring a country I had never been to, all that mattered was that I was with my soulmate, creating memories. From that point on, I realized I wanted to spend the rest of my life making more memories with Hilary. It was something I couldn’t see ever doing with anyone else.

There are so many moments that it’s hard for me to highlight just one. However, from the moment we decided to be exclusive, Michael never failed to make me feel like the luckiest girl in the world. He’d constantly take the liberty to spend weeks researching beautiful Airbnbs or resorts for us to visit and surprise me with beautifully curated getaways, packed with activities we would both enjoy. From snowboarding peaks at 10,000 ft elevation to hiking the Appalachian Mountains, and exploring unmarked cenotes in Tulum to admiring architecture across castles in Madrid, I can always count on making the best memories with him. Separately, and in my opinion most importantly, I love his relationship with my family. I see the way he genuinely cares for my family as an extension of his own, and there’s no better feeling in the world than seeing how much my family cares for and loves him back.

There are countless ways I could begin to explain what led me to propose to Hilary, but none would truly capture how naturally the decision came to me, including my engagement plan. After receiving her parents' blessing, the planning process became the easiest part. As a big supporter of Hilary’s business, Picnic Hour, I always paid attention to her eye for design and envisioned what her dream proposal would be. I choose to set up the proposal in Seaport, which is a sentimental location in our relationship since Hilary's old apartment was just up the block. I could walk to our engagement spot at the pier blindfolded, so I knew my nerves wouldn’t interfere with coordinating the logistics that day. Ultimately, the day turned out exactly as I had spent weeks imagining, dreaming about, and even reenacting at times. It all came to life with my best friend on February 10th.

Michael and I planned to celebrate Valentine’s Day early by dining at La Marchande, a restaurant near my old apartment in Financial District. As we were planning our reservation, he asked that we schedule an early dinner so that we could revisit the location we had our first photo with eachother taken and watch the sunset. I didn’t think much of his ask at first, as I’ve always known Michael to have romantic tendencies. 

As I was getting ready for our date, Michael pulled out a white dress from my closet that he insisted I wear. This is when alarm bells started ringing - why did he want me to wear a white summer dress in the winter? 

During our drive to Seaport I could feel my heart starting to race with excitement. I texted my closet girlfriends telling them that I had a feeling he was about to propose. 

When we got to Seaport, I saw MARRY ME in big letters. I remember being in denial, thinking the signage couldn't be for me. Michael didn’t realize I had accidentally seen the proposal and continued to walk me around the pier. As we got closer to the sign, I felt my heartbeat accelerating and my vision tunneling. In those moments of pure excitement, Michael got down on one knee in front of hundreds of spectators and asked me to be part of his forever.