We got introduced over a bowl of steaming hot macaroni and cheese, a meal Brenden had just pulled out of the oven during a class at culinary school. After a very few short moments of small talk, with Maria hiding behind her friend who had dragged her into that kitchen 10 minutes earlier, we parted ways, never to see eachother again. Or so we thought. A week before the last seven weeks of the semester began, Maria was convinced by a few friends to switch classes, so that everyone would be in the same night lab together. Turns out Brenden was taking the same class, so we got reintroduced and had to spend 16 grueling hours a week “working” at the Heritage restaurant, and call it what you will, night labs make or break you. And the fact that we, along with our other amazing friends still wanted to hangout after class most weeks is a miracle in and of itself.

Fast forward past a few insane months of Brenden’s last collage labs, Maria’s career plans changing slightly, a whole lot of hotdogs being shared with friends, and a few conversations around bonfires, we both came to realize that our friendship was something neither of us wanted to lose.

And so it happened, our first date. Well.. our second or third, first, real, legit date that wasn't just a couple college students grabbing food before hunkering down to study for an exam for the next 3 hours.

It turns out that we’re actually related! Yeah we know. Ew. To make a long story short, we both got invited to the same wedding… attending for both sides of the family. Maria’s cousin marrying Brenden’s Mom’s cousin’s son, whew what a mouthful. So turns out we are third cousins, once removed, through marriage, we think. Speaking of marriage, Congrats Ameili and Andrew, thanks for making it weird for us!

MOVING ON.. midway through the summer, Brenden packed up and shipped off for a two month long internship in Tennessee, at Blackberry Farms Resort. So began our long distance section of our relationship. Through the ups and the downs, we made the best out of it, with a visit half way through that Maria took with Brenden’s parents to see him for a few days!

Next up, AUTUMN. The week Brenden moved back home, which was also Maria’s last week before classes started up again, we helped move Brenden’s parents out of his childhood home, and across the state! Talk about GREAT BONDING TIME.

Winter was filled with studying, working on new ideas, forming a business plan for Maria’s personal chef career, and having the time of our life growing in our relationship with each other. We drank lots of vanilla chai tea with brown sugar and cream, we tried out lots of new restaurants, our current obsessions being Firefox&CM Korean Fried Chicken, One Stop Coney Shop, and Mr. and Mrs. Crab.

Before we knew it spring was upon us, which meant GRADUATING from culinary school! One of us was overly excited for the chance to walk across a stage to receive a diploma since Covid ruined the high school graduation, and one of us couldn’t wait to get out of the auditorium. We’ll let you figure out who’s who. All during this time the question remained “Brenden must have a ring” he MUST be planning to propose soon, since we had both been talking about getting engaged for a couple months at this point. But still the days went by, weeks came and went, and we continued to soak in the time we have together.

And then June 2023 happened. Brenden had a day trip planned to go up to Sleeping Bear Dunes, where we had gone exactly a year ago to the day. We stopped at a tiny breakfast restaurant for eggs benedict, the same breakfast at the same restaurant that Brenden had grown up going to with his family, lets get the nostalgia rolling!!! After sharing a dreamy sunrise breakfast, we were both just giddy with happiness and love towards each other. Or at least that's what Maria thought they were feeling. Brenden just kept remembering the very peculiar blue box sitting in the side of his car door that just so happened to be the key to one of the most exciting days of our lives.

We then drove to Pyramid point where Brenden started checking his phone slightly more often than he does already. Not suspicious at all… he played it off by saying he was trying to text his mom about something… As we got out of the car, Brenden sneakily slipped the ring box from the inside of the car door, into his pocket. Once we climbed to the top, we took in the view and Maria got busy checking out all the rocks and plants in the sand. All while Brenden was trying to get his phone to have service so he could get the text to his little sister Cayden so she could capture everything on camera! Finally after what felt like an eternity to Brenden, we shared a very sweet moment together, and as the tears started falling Brenden took the box out of his pocket and PROPOSED with the most beautiful ring ever designed, oh and yes he designed the entire ring! So many tears and laughter and screaming and hugging and kissing later, we spent the rest of the day exploring up north and eating delicious tinned fish and crackers, seafood, pasta and ice cream. There's nothing like experiencing the first day being engaged and you are just so happy that you want to and proceed to tell every single person you can. Don’t even get me started on how fun it is to hear about all the details Brenden thought about and organized in order to make it the best day ever. We even got to go back to Maria’s parents house and drink a glass of wine, share lots of hugs and tears, and of course reminisce over the entire day with all the special people in our lives.

If you read this entire story, kudos to you and thank you for caring so much, we can’t wait to celebrate with all of you, the joining of our two lives into one, for better or for worse, till death do us part.

And now…..lets keep planning this wedding!!!!