photography

Lalee

He called me AND texted me the very next day (he was excited), and the rest is history!

Another year went by and randomly two of my good high school friends who live down south were in town for a one night only engagement and we all decided to go to a local dive bar and catch up over a few drinks. While we were sitting there, I noticed Mikey across the bar with a group of friends. We locked eyes and I knew he looked familiar. He was much more clean cut than he was in college. The piercings were gone and his hair was brushed. But he was still super cute. We both quickly looked away but the whole night I was aware he was there and trying to get up the courage to say hi. Finally, after a little liquid courage, I called out to him as he was passing by my table and tried my super smooth line again, "Hey! Didn't we have Italian class together?". This time my smooth moves paid off and he pulled up a chair right next to me and we chatted the rest of the night.

He stayed in PA for grad school (he's originally from Northern Jersey) and worked at a jewelry store in the mall right by my house. About a year after college while I was there shopping one day, I noticed him and recognized him, but was on my way to buy a new outfit and didn't say hello. Some things are important! He remembers noticing me scurry by in a hurry and recognized me, but was too shy to say hi. So again, we went our separate ways.

A few months after graduation we were both at our mutual friend Alissa's house for a party. I was sitting at a table outside and he just happened to be sitting across from me. I thought he was pretty cute so I got up the courage to try to chat him up and said, "didn't we have Italian together freshman year?". And he said, "I think so". Aaand that was it. The whole conversation. Yup. I am so smooth.

Over the next 3 years of college, our two groups of friends became friends with each other, and most of my friends knew Mikey and would hang out with him, but for some reason he and I never really interacted. There's even a photo of us in our friend Kira's room right before her surprise party senior year standing right next to each other, but we never spoke.

In Italian class freshman year of college, Mikey was the boy who was constantly called on by our professor but never knew any of the answers. In fact, he would often answer in English, and everyone would get a good laugh. I thought he was cute though with his messy hair and piercings. He was definitely an art department kid. Swoon! He likes to say he noticed me as the quiet girl with the giant eyeballs. But through two semesters of Italian together, we never talked to each other.

My most favorite question I ask my brides and grooms is, "how did you two meet?". I love to hear their stories, the conflicting details of who noticed who first. It lets me get to know who they are and let's me see into their world just a little bit more. So I thought I would share my own love story with Mikey. It's a story of timing needing to be just right.

My Love Story