We met on a dating app and actually starting talking months before meeting. We were both moving for work and rotations and FINALLY happened to both be in Clearwater Beach. Our first date was on a rainy afternoon in May right on the beach. We couldn't wait for a second date, so we had one the next day.
Our third date was a road trip from Pittsburgh to Tallahassee. I was driving down from Toronto moving to Tallahassee, and Stephen volunteered to forgo a flight back to Tallahassee from Pittsburgh to accompany me. We both knew that this was the make or break moment, and impossible to escape from each other on a 20 hour road trip. When we arrived in Tallahassee, we were both in love (but neither willing to admit it quite yet!)
Before heading on vacation, Stephen planned a weekend in St. Augustine with his friend Skip to leave him with the dogs... or at least that is what Gillian thought. A few days before the St. Augustine trip, Stephen asked Gillian if she would like to meet up with them on Saturday, “since there would be a great viewing area over the ocean to watch the Space X launch.” As somewhat of a space nerd, she obliged. When she arrived in Saint Augustine, a wrench was thrown in the works and she was told we had to meet some friends for a fancy lunch near the water. Stephen made sure we arrived to the lunch early enough to find a great vantage point for the Space X launch, however that was never the plan. When they found a “viewing spot” on the seawall overlooking the bay, Skip pretended he had to take a phone call. As he walked away, Stephen took Gillian by surprise and proposed! In the surrounding, boats were honking, tourists were cheering, and Skip was capturing the moment.
2020! A new year and a new decade. Stephen started his new job with Sanofi in Boston, but due to COVID 19, he has been able to work from home in Tallahassee. We have felt blessed that the pandemic allowed us to spend extra time together this year. At the same time, planning a wedding during a pandemic, especially one that requires international travel for family to attend is tough! We've decided to postpone our wedding from our original date to allow this terrible crisis to pass. We love you and want all our family and friends to attend, and right now, we know that's not possible. Looking forward to our new wedding date March 26, 2022!