We truly have Mike's sister, Jenny, and Emily's friend, Eliza, to thank for helping our paths to cross. Jenny, Eliza, and Emily all played in the University of Delaware Marching Band (UDMB).

After texting back and forth for several weeks, our first date was a hike and picnic at a local park in Maryland in the summer of 2020. We had so much fun and trust in one another that we ended up getting lost upon realizing we had walked 'back' to the wrong parking lot! But the conversation never lagged and we both wanted to hike together again.

Mike was totally smitten, but Emily wisely took her time during our early months of getting to know each other. Some things are worth the wait, however, and after three plus years of dating and many adventures we're thrilled to start our next chapter together.

Today we live together in Maryland with our sweet rescue dog Al. Al and Mike have been with one another for many years before Mike and Emily met, and Emily is thrilled and spoiled to have Al as her first dog. Al is a big fan of Emily, just as Mike is.

While engaged, we took our first international trip together to Japan with 3 friends in 2024. You may have noticed a few Japanese inspired details integrated into our wedding planning, like the stamps on the save the date envelopes. We bought the knot and bird (chidori) stamps in Japan. The knot is a universal symbol of unity, both here and on the other side of the world. The chidori, in their alternating pattern, represent a happy marriage.

Emily went to the University of Delaware for her undergraduate in Mechanical Engineering. After graduation, she found a job locally with Siemens Healthineers as a design engineer. Today she is a Systems Engineer and celebrating her tenth work anniversary!

Emily is an active member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church.

Mike attended Virginia Tech for his undergrad degree in Aerospace Engineering and certificate of completion of Ocean Engineering. Then, he went on to earn his masters in Aerospace Systems Engineering at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. He now works as a Senior Engineer Propulsion at Northrup Grumman in Elkton, Maryland.