We first met at a South Carolina tailgate back in 2017 when we were starting our respective graduate degrees. Strangely enough, we never met in college prior to this, but had mutual friends throughout our time at USC. So when Matt decided to come down, our mutual friends kept telling Adilen that he was coming but did not know who he was. Matt and his friends came over to pregame before the tailgate at our friends apartment so that was when they first set eyes on one another. Funny enough, Matt was playing hard to get and would not really talk to Adilen at first (which was his plan all along). We then started to hit it off at the tailgate and spent the whole day together. The next day we both went to Cracker Barrel with our friends for brunch and Adilen wooed Matt by ordering the steak and eggs (he likes a girl who isn't shy to eat a lot). After the brunch, Adilen and Matt began talking more and he invited her up to visit him in Washington D.C. for a weekend so she agreed and went to visit him. He surprised Adilen with a first date to the Wizards and Cavaliers game because he knew she liked basketball but little did he know Dwayne Wade was her favorite player (at the time he was playing on the Cavs). So needless to say, Matt knocked it out of the park and then is when Adilen knew Matt was very special. For the next few months we talked on the phone every day and really hit it off. It was then when Matt came down for the South Carolina vs Clemson game (we really like football) and he asked Adilen to be his girlfriend. She obviously said yes and the rest is history!

Unfortunately, planning a wedding during a pandemic is not optimal, but with that in mind we want to ensure that all our guests are safe during our celebration. While we believe your best protection from the virus is getting the COVID vaccine, we respect that not everyone has the same opinion. If you choose to not be vaccinated, we do recommend getting tested 3 days prior to our wedding. We do feel this would be an "honor system" task and we know everyone is perfectly capable of making the medical decision that is best for them and their family. For those that have concerns, please see below details on how we are making a celebration safe. Headcount: We plan to have 150 guests in attendance but we have spaced out the tables to allow 8 people at a table (unless coming from the same household). Indoors/outdoors: Our ceremony and cocktail hour will be outside in the gardens. Our reception will be indoors but we will have doors and windows open to allow proper air flow. Masks: While we are not requiring masks we will have some stationed throughout the ceremony and reception areas for guests that feel more comfortable wearing one. Food: We will be having a plated dinner. If you have any questions or concerns feel free to reach out to the Bride or Groom!