While the first meeting is highly contested, it is agreed upon that Shannon and Joseph met in 2014 at Catholic University in Washington, DC. At the time, Shannon was grappling with her freshman year while Joseph was a thriving senior. It was through the CUA swim team that Joseph and Shannon’s paths crossed. Shannon remembers him as “Trainer Joe” who gave out his business card at 1:00am while Joseph remembers her as “the blonde swimmer” he couldn’t believe remembered his name. However, it isn’t until spring 2016 that the story starts to get interesting.

Shannon had recently quit the swim team and soon found herself at the school gym, The Kane, more and more often. At the time, Joseph had graduated but was working at the Kane as a personal trainer part-time. One day, Shannon walked in and Joseph took his shot: “Want to sign up for personal training?” He said. “Is it free?” Shannon responded. And so the love story begins.

Fast forward through the small talk from Joseph and complaints from Shannon, and fall 2016 arrives. After a 10-mile run and some encouragement from his dad, Joseph decides to ask Shannon on a date. They go to a mini golf bar for their first date where Shannon wins the game but Joseph eventually wins her heart.

While there was the typical love story plot twist and will they, won’t they over the next year, Joseph and Shannon realized their story had already been written in the stars. Joseph swept her off her feet once and for all with baked goods and punny notes that Shannon keeps to this day. How can a girl say no to that much sweetness? They moved back to their shared home state, Massachusetts, after Shannon’s graduation in 2018.

They endured new jobs, new careers, a pandemic, and about 100 miles of distance over the next few years. In the fall of 2021, they happily settled into their first apartment together in Melrose, MA.

Melrose quickly became home to the couple who was split between city and suburb. But it wasn’t until their pride and joy Shelby, the Portuguese Water Dog, arrived that everything truly fell into place.

After five years of love, laughter, baking, sarcasm, and eye rolls Joseph bought the ring. It was on a warm fall day in late 2022, picking apples at an orchard, that he got down on one knee and rendered Shannon speechless…

Joseph and Shannon can’t wait to celebrate the next chapter of their love story with you!

Fun fact for the history nerds: The wedding is taking place at Plimoth Patuxet Museum, which is famous for honoring and celebrating those who arrived on the Mayflower and the first pilgrims. Funny enough, Shannon’s thirteenth great-grandfather, William Bradford, arrived on the Mayflower and went on to be the second governor of Massachusetts.