Holly's Version:

We first met when I was on an overnight recruiting visit to Muhlenberg College in October of 2010. I was immediately drawn to Laurainne because she had the funniest descriptions when we played Catch Phrase as a group and because everyone seemed to be so drawn to her. She made me feel so at ease and I loved her smile and her laugh :)

Laurainne's Version:

It's true; Holly and I did meet in October of 2010 during her recruiting trip for volleyball. I vividly remember the day. She walked into the gym with her mom towards the end of practice and sat at the end of the bleachers watching the team go through position hitting. But what Holly found out later was that before practice started, our coach told members of the team to make sure we show her a good time because she really wanted her to commit to the school. Once I realized I was in competition with the new recruit, I hated her.

Once Holly joined the Muhlenberg Volleyball team in August 2011, naturally, we became teammates...then friends...then close friends. By October, we realized that our close friendship was developing into something more. With an invitation for Holly to "meet me half way", we shared our first kiss and have been meeting in the middle ever since.

Holly's Version:

Laurainne and I got engaged the weekend before Thanksgiving of 2017. Nicole was visiting us that weekend and we were planning to take her to a digital art exhibition space in DC that we had recently discovered, ARTECHOUSE. Nicole and Laurainne were acting weird and hanging back all day, but I thought they were in some kind of sister-fight. When Shelley and I arrived, the woman at the check-in desk told me she was "so excited for this!" which I thought was strange since she had probably seen the exhibit before. Then I saw Laurainne talking to a car that looked just like her dad's outside, but I thought she was just giving helpful directions to someone. I remained completely oblivious until I saw Aunt Kathy come down the stairs, followed by others members of both our families. Then I finally realized what was going on. I was so amazed by the amount of work Laurainne had put into the whole proposal, and completely embarrassed :)

Laurainne's Version:

Holly is a simple girl. She adapts to her surroundings. She has never demanded anything of me and always puts the needs and wants of others above herself. Of course, I wanted our proposal to make her feel special but I also wanted it to be in a place that seemed ordinary but was capable of doing extraordinary things, an element that I knew she would appreciate. ARTECHOUSE is a hidden gem of DC that not only gives a cool visual experience but works to immerse you in its environment so partnered with our special moment, I thought it would be a heightened experience for her. Although she has always told me that she wanted a small and private proposal, I thought being surrounded by all of our closest family members, both near and far, would help her forgive me! Aside from Holly catching Nicole and I trying to give the rest of my family directions to the venue on the streets of DC and the receptionist giving away her excitement for the proposal, she said “Yes” and it was a great moment for both of us!