We are so excited to celebrate with you, andiamo in italia!

Julia and Patrick first crossed paths in Madrid back in 2014. Both decided to study abroad at the University of Salamanca in Spain for the fall of their junior years at college. Patrick studied International Business at Bryant University in Rhode Island, and Julia studied International Affairs & Political Science at Northeastern University in Boston. Julia’s first memory of Patrick is seeing him at orientation with a cutoff Needham football shirt on and for better or worse he instantly caught her eye! It all began one fateful evening at the “bucket bar” when Patrick asked Julia “Do you go to Northeastern?” and the rest was history. Living with different host families, the new couple had their first dates at their favorite places around Salamanca: Doze, Caftería Figaro, and the infamous St. Patrick’s Pub! Without cell plans in Spain, the couple had an old-fashioned courtship. Patrick spent many evenings waiting for Julia on the stoop of the Gran Vía before heading out for a night sampling tapas around town. After their first few dates, Julia remembers calling her friends and telling them that this was the guy she was going to marry! They even had one class together (Mundo Árabe), where Julia would be known to bring Patrick PB & J sandwiches as a mid-class snack to remind him of home. They got to know each other more and more on the many long bus trips to the Madrid Airport. Their relationship grew as they jetted off to weekend trips to Ávila, Porto, Paris, Dublin, and Barcelona. After a thorough vetting (which included Donna running a background check), the couple came back to the U.S. and enjoyed visits to each other’s colleges throughout senior year. After graduation, Julia and Pat decided to leave New England behind and move across the country to Denver, Colorado to start their careers. The pair loved their time in the Mile High City and after two years of breweries, hiking, skiing, and lots of memories, they moved back to Boston.

Five years after their study abroad semester, Julia and Patrick returned to Spain for the first time. Julia flew from a girls trip in Greece to meet Patrick in Madrid, and nostalgia ensued! Patrick planned a romantic trip down memory lane, and had a very special surprise up his sleeve. After an afternoon of tapas, Patrick led Julia to the beautiful El Retiro Park. On a lush and secluded pathway, he got down on one knee and proposed, and Julia said YES!!! After a celebration dinner, they called their families to tell them the exciting news. The next day, they visited their old stomping grounds in Salamanca and went back to the place they fell in love. The couple are so excited to start this next chapter of their lives together and create new adventures and memories in the years to come!