Matt and Erika’s story is an age-old classic of two kids who grew up in the same town, going to rival schools, casually knowing each other but going their own separate ways before eventually coming back together. Between mutual friends, casual meetups, and flirting on Snapchat, something clicked one day when Matt met up with Erika and her friends in a small CT town. He spent the rest of the evening with them, just like old friends, and just before they parted ways in the parking lot they had their last first kiss. It wasn’t long after that Erika told her best friend that she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this was the guy she was going to marry.

So it happened, on one warm and balmy quintessential Connecticut summer evening that Matt got down on one knee, cotton candy skies overhead and the sound of the waves crashing on the shore, and asked Erika to marry him.

I had the chance to get together with them recently on that exact same beach and it was absolutely magical. Their love for each other is undeniable, and they clearly were made for each other. One thing is for sure: That foundation that was laid long ago of being friends first and knowing how to have a good time is something that will carry them through for the next 100 years.