Meet the Merrells!

Once upon a time, in the not-so-distant past of May 2020, when the world was on lockdown and toilet paper was a rare commodity, Alex and Bri mastered the art of quaran-dating. Their first date was the epitome of lockdown chic—Alex’s backyard. A romantic hotspot that rivaled the finest restaurants, because it was the only option. Bri showed up like a hero, armed with charcuterie and cocktail supplies. Conversation flowed more liberally than the drinks, as they bonded over their favorite music, movies, and wild stories from their youth. And so, from that memorable backyard date, their adventure began, proving that love can be just a backyard away. That date would soon take them to mountain peaks, ocean shores, and deserts, across state lines and foreign countries. And it all started with keeping cheese platters safe from squirrels.

Three years after their first date, on a trip to Portugal, Alex asked Bri if she’d like to do a couples photo shoot since they didn’t have any professional photos together. Little did she know they were about to be engaged! The photoshoot was set at the appallingly anti-vacation hour of 6am in order to catch the summer sunrise. After a few warmup shots to wipe away the jet lag, their photographer asked the couple to go to back, which was Alex’s cue to pop the question. Bri, feeling Alex move from behind her saw him drop to one knee from the corner of her eye and thought… “what the hell is this guy doing? We’ve only got two hours with the photographer. Did he drop something?” At this point Alex, pulled out her ring and asked, “Do you want to be stuck with me forever?” They celebrated with ginjinha and pastel de natas, and the rest is history!