Chapter One:

Our story began in 2017 in Richmond, Virginia. Rosemarie was a junior at VCU, and Christian was working at the Department of Forensic Science. For our first date, we grabbed drinks downtown and walked along the river under a canopy of stars, completely lost in conversation as we told each other our life stories. Holding hands that night we both knew we had found someone special.

We quickly realized how many pages we shared in common: a deep love for art museums, Quentin Tarantino movies, $1 local pizza slices, and, above all, a passion for reading.

Chapter Two:

After Rosemarie’s graduation, we moved to Charlottesville to write our next chapter and build our very first home together. A year later, the world hit an unexpected plot twist. We navigated the "fugue state" of 2020 by turning towards each other, finding comfort in late-night video games and each other’s company, weathering the plot twists of life as a team.

Chapter Three:

Early in our relationship, Christian took Rosemarie on a day trip to his alma mater, William & Mary, to share his favorite campus memories. He pointed out the historic Crim Dell Bridge and explained its lore: you only cross it at graduation, or with the person you want to marry. Rosemarie jokingly teased, "Okay, let's go walk over it!"

Christian held onto that memory. A few years later, during the 2023 Homecoming celebrations, he led Rosemarie back to that exact spot. Beneath the trees, he got down on one knee and asked her to be his wife. He even had his fraternity brother fly in from New York to secretly capture the special moment.

Chapter Four:

We relocated to Raleigh in 2024, bought our very first house together in 2025, and in April 2026, we adopted our sweet dog, Walter, who officially made us a family of three.

Through every high and low, we have been each other’s constants. We’ve celebrated big promotions, new beginnings, and cheered Christian on as he built a successful career from scratch doing what he loves most—bringing books to life as an audiobook narrator. From sharing $1 pizza slices as college students to signing the deed on a home, we have truly been there for each other through it all.

Our wedding date marks exactly ten years to the day from when we first started dating. We couldn't think of a more poetic way to celebrate a decade of love than by standing with our favorite people to vow that we will keep writing this beautiful life story together.

We can't wait to start this next chapter with you all by our side!