Matt and Lauren met at Governor LePage's (Father of the Bride) second Inauguration Party in 2014. Matt was attending with a friend. The encounter was a brief hello, and they both went their separate ways. Matt ran for office in 2015 and was elected to the Maine House of Representatives. Lauren continued to be involved in the Maine political scene, and their paths crossed on several occasions over the following years.

In May 2018, Lauren was working at a public affairs firm lobbying, and running a gubernatorial campaign. Matt randomly messaged her on Facebook to ask whether or not her father would be attending an event in Bangor that day. The two got talking, and Matt decided to ask her out.

The conversation went something like this...

Matt: We should hang out some time.

Lauren: Wait - are we buds - or are you asking me out?

Matt: No, I'm definitely asking you out.

The following evening, they met for cocktails at Bramhall. It is a speak-easy in Portland, Maine. (Complete with a leg lamp and a fabulous whiskey collection).

From then on, their relationship is history. After one date, the two decided to make it "official" and broke the news to their family and friends in a surprising Facebook splash. (Many didn't believe the news at first). Three weeks later they exchanged "I love you's" and Lauren moved to Sanford "officially" the following December.

Little did Lauren know that after a weekend at camp with some of their friends, Matt would pop the question in September 2019. Matt took Lauren to their favorite place, Barnacle Billy's in Ogunquit, Maine where they shared their usual rum punch, and pretzels. Matt asked Lauren to walk on the path that is in Perkins Cove, along the water. They sat and chatted for a bit, but Lauren was bugging him to go to dinner because she feared on Labor Day weekend that one of their favorite places would be too busy. She finally got up and started walking when she heard...

"Hey Babe, one more thing, will you marry me?"

Elated and shocked - she forgot to say yes initially! The two hugged with the gorgeous Maine coastline in the background and headed off to a celebratory dinner.

For those of you who know them, their relationship has been a bit more colorful than that, but this is the G Rated version.

Wedding Party