Katie & Matt–A lesson in destiny
When Katie and Matt started college, little did they know they would learn a lesson about destiny.
Katie and Matt entered Villanova University for their freshman year in the fall of 2003, and they met a short time later. Their memories of that first meeting differ but one thing is certain: Their social circles and on-campus activities overlapped in many ways over the next four years, culminating with a senior year spring break cruise that Katie, Matt and their friends will never forget.
After graduation, Katie’s and Matt’s paths continued to cross, largely through mutual friendships and social activities in and around New York City. Then, on November 8, 2016, Katie’s and Matt’s paths crossed once again.
Early that morning, Katie, an avid runner, went out for an early morning run. Coincidentally, Matt headed out early to walk to work. The two bumped into each other. They talked for a bit and, realizing that they were practically neighbors, they made plans to catch up. Katie’s friends know her as super-organized, so Matt shouldn’t have been surprised that, as soon as he sat down to his desk, he saw an email from Katie suggesting times and locations for their first “meeting.”
Katie and Matt met shortly afterward for a drink at a bar with a mechanical bull, followed by dinner at a Cuban tapas hole-in-the-wall. One thing led to another, and before long the two were inseparable.
Matt never cultivated a love of early morning jogs as Katie had, but the two did share an adventurous spirit and a love for travel. Together they skied down the slopes of Montreal and Aspen, drove down the Pacific Coast Highway, snorkeled in Bermuda, and dined beneath the Eiffel Tower.
Things were getting increasingly serious between Matt and Katie. Their families began having gatherings together. Matt sold his apartment, and last October, he and Katie bought their first home together in Hoboken.
It was time for Matt to make it official.
Matt came to Brauschweiger Jewelers, where one of our bridal experts helped him select and craft the perfect engagement ring for the occasion. Matt then conferred with Katie’s parents and received one set of marching orders: Catch her off guard. Don’t propose at a fancy restaurant, and don’t put her on the jumbotron at a baseball game; get her when she least expects it.
So, in April, Matt suggested to Katie that they go for an early Sunday morning run along the Hudson River. Katie was suspicious; temperatures were lower than normal for springtime and, as mentioned, Matt wasn’t much for weekend jogs.
Men: If you’ve ever proposed, you know how nerve-racking those moments just before popping the question can be. Matt found himself fumbling around for 45 minutes in front of a mirror, trying to figure how to hide a ring box in a snug hoodie. Finally, Matt got his nerve up, and off he and Katie went.
As they ran, the conversation strangely turned to bachelor and bachelorette parties, and to wedding arrangements and possible locations. “This is too much,” exclaimed Matt, feigning exasperation: “We aren’t even engaged!”
Katie was half-apologizing, then found herself wondering why Matt was on bended knee in 30-degree weather. Katie took a little too long to figure out what was happening, but once it dawned on her, she was speechless except for the “Yes” answer she blurted.
