Lauren:

Michael and I were around each other for the first time at my best friends' annual New Year's Eve party. I wouldn't say we really "met" because I don't think I spoke a word to him - I just didn't know who the random dude at my friends' house was. A few months later I went to a wine bar with my friends who hosted the NYE party and Michael joined, which was the first time we ever really talked. He was awkwardly funny and really nice, but I thought nothing of it. Some time after that, he hung out with our friends without me and told my best friend Taylor that he wanted to ask me out, which she immediately told me, but we thought it was a joke and I knew that he was fresh out of a relationship, so we kind of laughed it off. A few weeks later he slid into my DMs and started quoting Avril Lavigne lyrics. It was strange but kind of cute and then he said something about how it would only be weird if he asked me to go out for drinks with him, to which I replied, "hahaha".....I didn't realize he was actually asking me to go out with him. While my immediate reaction was "absolutely not" since we had mutual friends and it could get sticky if things didn't work out, I figured there was no harm in just going for a few drinks. Drinks turned into dinner and Michael let me know that it was in fact a date (news to me). Little did we know that this meet up for drinks/date would end up changing our lives forever. We hung out 4 out of the next 7 days and we have been glued to each other since. I knew after just a few weeks that he was the one because as soon as we parted, I couldn't wait to see him again (okay so I still feel the same to this day). Michael is the sweetest, most thoughtful, hilarious, authentic person I have ever met and I am so excited for him to become my husband!

Michael:

I remember distinctly meeting Lauren for the first time. NYE and she was uninterested in me, but I immediately had a crush on her. She was bubbly and blonde and did not think I was very funny. I couldn't wait to see her again. That night at the wine bar my persistent attempts to make her laugh finally started to pay off. A few weeks later, I started methodically responding to any Instagram story she posted, which eventually led to DM'ing. Our first date was fantastic; what was supposed to be a drink or two turned into a 6 hour date on a weeknight...I did not feel so great the next day at work, but it was totally worth it! I had to present to upper management hungover! But I knew Lauren was different. She is the perfect kind of weird, and makes me laugh like I never have. I don't ever want to spend a day without her. She's everything to me, and she's going to be my wife!