How We Met
I was a social media intern at Revel Resorts in Atlantic City, NJ for nearly four months. Little did I know I was going to meet my future husband that afternoon. We’ve been in the building together for almost four months and didn’t even know it! The floor I worked on was super slow that afternoon, and our CEO gave me the thumbs up to venture into other departments and assist where needed. Right off the bat, a colleague needed some help with booking a guest from out of the country who was flying in that week! Immediately, I panicked, fast-walked to the marketing department, waved the reservation papers in the air and asked, “Can anyone help me with this! (dread face).” And then there was Dave, smiling with his hand up. He respectfully helped me understand the process first and then later followed up by email to make sure everything was set. Something about him made me curious to find out more. He was all business; a pure workaholic. Somehow, I found myself venturing down to marketing much more often and I never saw Dave in the hallways so much. It was becoming evident, we both deliberately tried to bump into each other. Then…ding! An email from Dave! Small talk started veering away from business and turning into inside jokes, flirting, and leaving cute notes on each other’s desks. Then he asked me to join him for dinner at Morton’s Steakhouse…with one of his clients. I couldn’t take my eyes off his smile and continued to catch him glancing at me. Somehow we both ended up heading to the restroom area before departing. Although we didn’t kiss, at that moment, we both knew we wanted to. Later that evening, I walked in the door to my parent’s house and told my mom that I was going to marry him. She laughed and went to bed.
how they asked
It was a busy holiday season and I was frantic as usual. I had to be in the “I give up mode” because Dave convinced me to skip Christmas shopping at the mall to watch an NFL game with him at Hooters. Beer and Wings. Why not…We have friends that play on one of the teams so I figured Dave was amped up and that was the reason he kept throwing down beers. We left the bar early, stopped by the mall real quick, and then headed down to Davio’s Italian Steakhouse to meet Dave’s cousin and his girlfriend for dinner and a musical play. When we arrived, the host walked us up to the penthouse level because there was a “private event” downstairs. On the way up I heard live music playing through the elevator. As we walked into the dining area there was my entire family along with Dave’s family holding their cameras up. The room was filled with romantic decor. Dave took my purse and put it on the ground, picked me up and spun me around. He kissed me and asked for my hand to dance. As I glanced to my left, I noticed the man singing was my favorite artist, Matt McAndrew, from the Voice. He was singing our song as a video compilation of the past three years of our relationship played on a big screen behind us. Tears poured down my face and as Dave spun me, out came my grandparents from around the corner of the room. Dave flew them in from Portugal after getting approval from my grandfather’s physician to let him fly with stage four cancer. Behind my father’s parents came my mother’s parents from Portugal as well. I completely lost it. They haven’t been to the United States in 19 years. My grandfather handed Dave the ring and Dave got down on one knee with love in his smile asking me to make him the happiest man in the world and to spend the rest of my life with him. I said Yes :)
