How We Met
Matt grew up in Breezy Point, a quaint beach community at the very end of the Rockaway peninsula. I spent the majority of my childhood in Brooklyn but after my parents discovered the unique town of Breezy Point they bought a bungalow to escape the hustle and bustle of the city during the summer heat. Matt and I lived on opposite sides of the town but eventually met at ‘the field’ a local spot where ALL of the breezy kids hang out. He was 13, I was 14 and we had some mutual friends in common so we were bound to cross paths.
I wouldn’t say it was ‘love at first sight’ moment but, we quickly became friends and Matt was always able to put a smile on my face (and I think he may have had a little crush on me). We remained ‘just friends’ throughout high school, but that all changed when Matt asked me to be his date for Junior Prom (2010). I was definitely a little shocked that he asked me, but I said yes.
Now, this would be a great love story- high school sweethearts that had their first date at the prom and fell in love- but that’s not how it went down for Matt and I. As it turned out, I never made it to the prom! Our story just wasn’t meant to start then. After that bump in the road, Matt and I stayed ‘just friends’ until the end of that summer. The timing wasn’t great because I was leaving for college in a few weeks, but everything happens for a reason. Matt and I talked every single day while I was away at school. I realized we were much more than a summer fling.
As fate would have it I wound up transferring to The Catholic University of America, the same college Matt had just committed to attend in the fall. That summer we made our relationship official on June 11th, 2011 and spent the next four years together at CUA. He pitched for the baseball team, I pitched for the softball team. We both studied business and were pretty much inseparable ever since.
how they asked
One of the most endearing parts of Matt is how excited he gets about things; however, that excitement makes it nearly impossible for Matt to keep a secret/ surprise me. As a matter of fact, he was never able to completely surprise me. So, I thought that after 7 years of dating and 0 successful surprises there would be no chance for a surprise proposal. However, with the help of my family, his family and our closest friends, Matt was able to keep the proposal a secret!!
Every year during Labor Day weekend Breezy Point has their own version of Mardi Gras. A fun-filled weekend of parades, costumes, and parties to end summer with a bang. We had so much fun celebrating Mardi Gras and to have a perfect end the holiday weekend we planned to celebrate Matt’s Dad’s birthday at their house.
The day was calm, I was looking forward to one of the Petronis’s famous backyard parties. My friend and I rode over to Matt’s house and when we got there I saw a happy birthday sign on the front gate and I heard everyone singing happy birthday. I walked in and saw my aunt through the window- I thought that was strange and said to myself “I don’t think this is a birthday party.” I walked outside and immediately saw Matt standing over white, gold and pink rose petals with a nervous smile on his face. I didn’t realize there were about 50 people watching all of this take place. At that moment time stood still. I felt like I was dreaming as I walked over to Matt. He whispered a sweet note, got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. Of course, I said YES!
