On a spring evening in May 2017, Maddy & Dean met by chance at a fundraiser in Washington, DC. Maddy, dancing with some girlfriends, approached Dean, who was behind the bar working, and struck up a conversation. One (or two...) "blackberry old fashioned" cocktails later, they exchanged numbers and the rest is history!

A stormy afternoon on Long Beach Island didn't deter Dean from making this proposal memorable. After a full day of paddle-board yoga (he can tell you that story later), and much cajoling to get Maddy out of the house in rain & lightning, Dean whisked her off to a gazebo by the bay and asked her the big question, to which she said YES!