Our story technically begins in the Summer of 2021 when we met at an annual get-together hosted by the Waters family, but things didnt get set in motion for a few more months.

Fast forward to Winter 2022, when our best friends Joe and Gina Gruber invited us both to tag along with them on a trip to Disney World to celebrate their engagement. Disney World is known for being full of magic and wonder at every turn, but for us the turning point was when the group had a night out at Jellyrolls, the dueling piano bar at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort. Surrounded by sing-alongs, dancing, and laughter, something clicked.

Michael, living in Cincinnati, suddenly was finding frequent reasons to visit his pal Joe, who just happened to live near Meghan in Western Pennsylvania. After a group of friends that included Michael and Meghan took a trip to New York City to visit their friend Katie, it became clear that there was something between us. Before long, we officially started dating in the Spring of 2022—our first “real” date being a Pirates game (though Michael is a lifelong Cleveland fan and was just putting on a good face).

Despite living a few hours apart for the first year, we still managed to find opportunities to see each other and our shared friends, though after Meghan moved to Columbus in 2023, the logistics got a lot easier.

With a shared love of adventure, we filled our time together with trips, visits with mutual friends, and the joy of being with each others families. Our bond is characterized by an eagerness for new experiences, a love of family, and a shared sense of humor that keeps us laughing at the most mundane things, but most of all our shared values and deep commitment to each other.

Our biggest adventure to date was in the Summer of 2024, when we traveled to Ireland. On the beautiful Aran Island of Inis Mor, near Dun Aonghasa (the very spot where Amy Adams gets engaged in one of Meghan’s favorite movies, Leap Year), Michael proposed and Meghan said "Yes"! It was an unforgettable moment, filled with love, excitement, and a bit of movie magic.

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