Michael and Joelle met in November of 2022, via Instagram, at the prompting of a friend. They immediately hit it off, but lived an hour away from each other. Despite the distance and their conflicting schedules, Michael and Joelle made the effort to see each other every Saturday night, traveling between Vineland and Philadelphia.

They officially started dating in March of 2023, thanks to a late night inquiry of “Are you my girlfriend?” (smooth), and continued to get to know each other and grow closer. By the end of 2023 they were tired of going back and forth every weekend (and only seeing each other once a week), so they made a plan to move in together.

In February of 2024, after some consideration, they decided to move into a house that Michael and his dad had bought and were fixing up. Over the next few months, they focused on making that house their home and discussed their future together.

Finally, Michael and Joelle got engaged at an AirBnb in Philadelphia on August 31, 2024. It was an emotional moment as Michael proposed in the city where they met and afterwards they celebrated with their friends.

Ever since then, they have been scrambling to prepare for their big day, working out every single detail to make their wedding perfect. Michael and Joelle are so excited for their future together and know that it will be special, because they have each other.