While Dana & Matt crossed paths a few times over the years, their official introduction was at a friends get together in June of 2020. Dana's brother Jason and Matt are both part of a long tenured group of friends who always make time to meet up whenever time permits. Since Jason was visiting from New York and Matt's birthday had just passed, a few from the group decided to get together after months of lock down. Jason brought Dana along and the story of Dana & Matt commenced. While outside tending to the grill, Matt made it known to a mutual friend that he was curious to learn more about Dana. Later in the evening, Dana took a special notice to the playlist and soon realized Matt was the acting DJ for the evening. It was at that point the aforementioned mutual friend knew it was time to load an arrow into Cupid's bow and fire away!

After the formal introduction and initial conversations, the soon to be couple decided it was time to meet in person without the group. Dana was going to be in Matt's area, so the two agreed that "Tap 42" was a good place to link up once she was done. Dana isn't particularly a foodie (Matt is quite the opposite), so she allowed him to take the lead on ordering. Since they had already broken the ice and covered the basics during preceding phone chats, most of the time was spent discussing core values and important topics people typically avoid on a first date. When it was time to part ways, they both felt a genuine sense of comfort and what could be a real connection. After a subtle "church" hug while parting ways they made it known to each other that they enjoyed their time together and said goodbye. No more than an hour later, text messages were exchanged confirming that feelings were mutual and they looked forward to seeing each other again soon. The conversation picked back up as if they never left the restaurant and carried on well into the night (and every day after).

The day started off like most Saturdays...the couple took their morning stroll with Ziggy, made a simple breakfast, and shared a cup of coffee. Matt had setup this particular Saturday as a "date day". It would start with of a bit of pampering and wrap up with a swanky dinner. After an early afternoon mani/pedi being checked off the itinerary, the couple prepared for their fancy "date night". Dana started getting ready while Matt took his mom "to a friend's house", or so Dana thought. Matt actually took to his mom to Tap 42. There, they met up with a few of Dana's friends to start setting up for the surprise of a lifetime. Just as guests began to arrive, Matt rushed home as Dana was finishing up and scrambled to get ready. Before headed to their "nice dinner" the couple had planned to meet up with Jason and his wife, Lauren, for a quick drink. They arrived at the restaurant and "coincidentally" sat at the table from their first date. Since Jason & Lauren hadn't arrived yet, they waited to order a drink. After a deep breath Matt gave Dana a diary with a thoughtful message written inside. As she read his note and processed what was happening, Matt found his moment, bent the knee, and asked for her to make what they have eternal. Once they caught their breath and the nearby cheers subdued, Matt whisked Dana outside. As the couple made their turn to the patio a group outside erupted with applause. The group consisted of friends and family who Matt had reached out to in advance. Knowing how important family is to Dana, there was no doubting this cemented the moment as unforgettable. WE ARE SO GRATEFUL THAT OUR PATH HAS LED US TO THIS MOMENT AND WE ARE ELATED TO CELEBRATE THE NEXT CHAPTER OF OUR STORY WITH OUR CLOSEST FRIENDS AND FAMILY!