Eli and Emily met on their first day of college at Bridgewater State University. Emily noticed Eli right away, and felt there was something special about him. He noticed her cute, curly red hair and the two became friends right away. After about a year of flirting, being tricked into double dates, doing a couple of shows and taking lots of theater classes together it finally turned into something real. in January of 2009, Eli and Emily were really getting somewhere, but Eli wasn't sure what he really wanted - and Emily decided to take a guerilla warfare tactic, and said "FINE. I'll go date somebody else then!" AND SHE DID! She wet on a couple of revenge dates really just to get back at Eli, and show him what he was really missing. Eli was crushed, he moped around campus for days and finally realized what he could possibly lose... One night, Emily came back to her suite that she shared with her best friends from rehearsal very late and the door to her bedroom door was cracked open. She usually locks it so this was a little odd - but she didnt think anything of it, since her room mates were home and in their own rooms. She entered her room and Eli was there with his keyboard set up and he began playing music. He played and sang "Here at the Right Time" by Josh Ritter for her, and the rest was history!

It was coming up to Christmas, and per usual Emily and Eli had not done their Christmas shopping yet. Emily had asked Eli to come to her office holiday party, but Eli had a work conflict and wasn't able to go. BUT! He had the day after off, and casually asked Emily to go Christmas shopping. For some insane reason, Eli wanted to go into Boston and shop the week before Christmas. Emily somehow didn't see through this, and said "okay crazy, that's fine I guess". The two head into Boston and Eli starts asking Emily where they should go, and he says he wants to try around THE COMMON..... For shopping. Emily reminded him that there are 25 Starbucks and restaurants, but nowhere we can really shop. At the time, Emily didn't know this, but Eli began to PANIC. He then recommended we at least park near the common so we can eat at our favorite restaurant. While parking, Emily starts arranging an Uber, and in an act of pure brilliance, Eli says "Oh hold on. Would you mind running down to the common really quick? I wanna go catch a Pokemon!" This is so typical for Eli, that Emily didn't think anything of it. So the two head down to the common and start walking... He turns to her and says "Hey. I have a confession to make. I actually didn't have rehearsal last night". Emily was PISSED and she booked it! She started speed walking through the common and Eli began the chase. In a cartoon-style calamity, Eli is now chasing Emily through the common yelling her name and to turn around. She finally stops, whips her head around and says "WHAT??". And there he was, down on one knee, and asked her to marry him. She actually blacked out slightly and has no idea what he said to her, all that she knows is she gets to spend the rest of her life with the love of her life. They then headed over to Maggiano's, where they had reservations and celebrated their engagement at the restaurant where they have celebrate every anniversary, birthday, and happy event through their entire relationship!