How We Met
Lorne and I actually went to the same pre-school and elementary school, though a few years apart. We have identical pictures of us in matching blue caps and gowns from our graduation from the JCC and we have the same yearbooks from a few of our elementary school years. While there is no doubt that I watched Lorne receive his good citizen of the month award on the school news many many years ago (which we have since watched way too many times), it wasn’t until many years later that we would meet and our story would begin.
In high school, Lorne went to another school while I continued at our elementary school. Still, our paths seemed to continue to align as Lorne played in a band (during what we have affectionally entitled, “our glory days”) with all kids from my school. We even worked at the same Coldstones Creamery, but it seemed we kept missing our overlap by a few years. Lorne went off to college at Indiana University still a complete stranger to me and I graduated two years later and headed to Tufts University.
After a year at Indiana, our paths crossed again when Lorne transferred to Northeastern University. Lorne resumed playing music with our mutual high school friend and it was time for us to finally actually meet. In the sweaty basement of an Alston house for our friend’s concert, we were first introduced. I knew who he was already, but remained lukewarm about the encounter. Lorne, however, followed up with our mutual friend and it wasn’t long before he asked me on a date.
Our immediate shared passion was music. We both liked the same 90s indie pop songs and our first date was at a 2AM Club concert. Since then, the soundtrack to our story has been anything but dull. Lorne is the only person who would see Andrew McMahon as many times as me and somehow grow more obsessed with his music every time. We aren’t ashamed that we know all the words to Chelsea by the Summer Set and we will bust out our rendition of You and I by Ingrid Michaelson at any campfire we’re invited to even though we both have horrendous voices.
After Boston we moved to Los Angeles where started law school and Lorne continued his music career. Our home is covered in concert posters and song lyrics and our weekend itineraries revolve around our dog, Riggins, adventuring, and forced fun. We never miss a concert and are always up for a hike.
how they asked
After six years of dating, we are often asked when we are going to get married. The answer has always been not until I finish law school, and low and behold, that day finally arrived. After law school I entered what can only be described as a whirlwind summer of sweatpants studying for the bar exam and I came out of that looking something like Frida Kahlo on her worst days. Lorne and I had been planning a three week trip to Africa beginning with a pit stop back home to drop off Riggins. Our friends all decided we had to be getting engaged in Africa as we had managed to snag one night at our dream hotel, The Giraffe Manor, where you get to dine with giraffes coming in through the windows (and for those who know me, behind horses and dogs, giraffes are my absolute favorite animal).
The day before we were leaving for Florida, Lorne told me we were going to dinner with Riggins and made us appointments to get pampered. We went shopping and got dressed up and at 6:30 we left the house and I began guessing where we were going. As we pulled in to the parking lot of our favorite hike, I knew something was up. We got out of the car and Lorne took my hand as Riggins pulled me down the stairs into the most magical scene ever.
There were string lights (my favorite!!) hanging from all the tree and twine with pictures of us interlaced with it and a beautiful picnic set up on the table.
From the stairs there were rose petals leading up to a heart on the floor which Lorne eagerly pulled me towards. He got down on one knee and after I said yes he turned to me and said, “and no picnic would be complete without a little music,” and out of the bushes came LEE DEWYZE!!!
Lee Dewyze’s lyrics have been on our wall for the past three years and Lorne carries around a guitar pick with his lyrics on them that I got him for our anniversary.
We have been fans of Lee’s for a long time and have seen him on numerous occasions and having a private concert to top off the sweetest proposal was truly something out of a dream.
Lee serenaded us with our song as the three of us danced (and Riggins barked, he wanted to give his woof of approval) to our song, Brooklyn Bridge. It was nothing short of perfect and a night neither of us will ever forget (and SO much better than anything I could have ever dreamed of).
