From Meaghan's Perspective:

Our story began online, as many do these days! From the beginning, Steve has been keeping me on my toes. He loves talking on the phone, and called me before we had even met in person! I remember feeling giddy and nervous when I heard his voice for the first time. Our first date was on May 20, 2023, and Steve took me to Shelburne Bay for a walk with our dogs, Ruby and Athena. The dogs got along great, and so did we. Our conversation flowed easily, we laughed together, and I immediately felt at ease with him. After the walk, we decided to continue the date at Archie's Grill, where we got an ice cream cone. I remember when we were standing in line, Steve gently looped his finger through mine, and this tiny gesture told me he was feeling just as connected as I was. We left the date, agreeing to meet up again. That ended up being later that afternoon, when he came over to watch a movie. We were both in comfy clothes (a first for me so early on in a relationship). He was the perfect gentleman, and the date ended with our first kiss. From there, our story has been a whirlwind romance. We have spent almost every day together since then. Steve's honesty and open style of communication felt like the breath of fresh air I had been waiting for. I remember asking my matron of honor, Gina, if this was too good to be true... how could anyone be so sure of their feelings so early on? She encouraged me to let things unfold, and I'm so glad that she did. After 3 dates, Steve asked me to be his girlfriend... and I quickly said no. To me, that was crazy! I told him I was enjoying getting to know him, but that I wanted to take it slow. After the 5th date, I asked him to ask me again... and we began officially dating. He told me he loved me shortly thereafter... by tracing it on my shoulder one evening. I've never felt so sure of my own feelings as I was in that moment when I said it back to him. Our relationship was moving fast, but it felt like the most natural progression in the world. Like we had known each other for years. From the very beginning, he took the time to get to know how I liked my home organized, my type A systems, and learned them. He put a lot of effort into getting to know my family and my friends, and knew how important they were to me. He moved into my condo (officially) on August 1, and on the morning of September 9th, after I returned from my hiking trip to Ireland, he asked me to be his wife. Many of you know that story... it began with Steve showering, shaving and getting dressed up. I was a little confused but didn't think much of it. We arrived at Mount Philo with the dogs, and he started sprinting up the mountain. Keep in mind, I had just spent the better part of two weeks hiking and my body was definitely tired. Now looking back, I laugh about that. He was so excited, which is him to a T. We got to the top, I went to the bathroom, and he went to the viewpoint. As I approached him, he was tying something around Athena's neck (a bandana that said "Will You Marry My Dad?") and started to hurry when he saw me. He then turned around with a huge smile on his face, dropped to one knee, and in front of a bunch of strangers, told me that I was the love of his life, and asked me to make him the happiest man and marry him. I said yes, still in a daze, and everyone cheered and clapped. It was one of the happiest moments of my life. Our story is only just beginning, and I cannot wait for what the future has in store for us. I still cannot believe I get to spend the rest of my life with him.

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