OUR STORY
About The Bride:
Nicole is a Massachusetts native from Grafton. She found her inner Lady Vixen at Sweet Briar College where she double majored in English and Creative Writing, then earned her library degree at the Palmer School while practically living at NYU's Bobst Library for 3 years. Her book-related pursuits have taken her from New York, to San Francisco, to Washington DC, which ultimately led her full circle back to Central Massachusetts in the fall of 2010 to accept a primary school librarian position. She loves reading, watching movies, letting her mind wander on long walks, observing people in everyday life and mimicking them on the spot, and attempting to recapture her haiku-writing glory from 4th grade.
About The Groom:
Take one part Claude Monet, another part Bob Villa, one part Martha Stewart, and one part Keith Richards and you get Billy. Growing up in Wappingers Falls, New York, he moved to Marlborough, MA at 14, which he still calls home. He went to the Massachusetts College of Art studying Art Education, and later received a Master's in Education from Lesley University. He is currently the Chair of the Art
Department at Fay School in Southborough, MA, and also fronts a couple of bands, including The Allens. He enjoys playing guitar, patenting his white wine gnocchi recipe, drawing and painting, visiting Europe, and lusting after sports cars.
How They Met:
Billy and Nicole met as colleagues at Fay School in Southborough, MA, in August of 2010; he being the Chair of the Art
Department and working with third to ninth graders (but NO seventh graders - don't ask), and she being the school's first primary school librarian, teaching pre-kindergarten to second grade. They really got to know each other early in the school year, most notably the Friday after Labor Day when Billy hosted a staff-wide TGIF party at his house. As it turned out, Nicole was the only one who showed up. They sat by the lake behind his house and simply chatted while drinking wine and watching the sun go down. The party ended after a few hours, marking the start of a new and exciting school year for both of them.
Billy and Nicole's First Date
Saturday, April 9, 2011
In late summer at the start of the 2010-2011 school year, Billy and Nicole were merely colleagues. In the fall, they were colleagues and new friends. That winter, they were friends with a slight unspoken interest in each other. Come springtime, Billy worked up the nerve to ask her out to a KT Tunstall concert at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston. Nicole said yes, secretly feeling optimistic because 9 was always her favorite single digit. They met at the school parking lot where Nicole left her car so they could ride together in Billy's car. After the concert they drew closer to the school, but at the last minute Billy suggested they go to a bar for a drink, which Nicole was glad to do. They hung out there for a short while, and finally returned to the school parking lot. When it was time to say goodbye, Nicole and Billy chatted about things until they hit a pause. Nicole started to unbuckle her seat belt and say goodnight just as Billy swooped in for a hug, which at the last moment he turned into a kiss. The rest is history.
When Billy knew Nicole was the one
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Billy and Nicole had been cautiously - albeit awkwardly - dating in the spring, but it wasn't until Billy's third date with her that sealed the deal for him. While talking via Skype the night before, Nicole had been chit-chatting about how a nearby mall offered tasty gelato. It was a little tidbit that Billy remembered and surprised her with for their date the next day. After she got off work he took her out for a nice Italian dinner in Boston's North End, capped off with two gelatos (she had hazelnut; he had bacio). Afterwards they walked over to the waterfront and took in the view. It was a moment that Billy wished would never end... and also the moment he knew he loved her.
When Nicole knew Billy was the one
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Nicole was running Fay's After-School Program for 4 to 10 year olds when Massachusetts was hit with a rare occurrence of severe tornadoes. At closing time, her hometown in Grafton was being struck by them, and there was also no emergency plan from the school's administration as to what to do with the kids and the parents who couldn't take them home. Nicole was stranded with young scared kids and anxious parents, prompting Billy to drive over to the school from his house in Marlborough. With the help of the weather tracker app on his iPhone, he determined when it was safe for each family to drive back to their homes. Once everybody was safely on the road again, he took Nicole back to his place for the night since she still couldn't drive back to her town. That's when she knew she loved him.
ABOUT THE PROPOSAL:
Date of Engagement:
Friday, September 9, 2011
How it was Done:
The day marked one year after Billy's TGIF party, and also exactly five months since the two began dating. To celebrate, Billy and Nicole went out for dinner. By the time they went back to Billy's house, the sun had already set, so Billy suggested to Nicole they go stargazing out in the backyard and look for a star he had named after her in the sky. They sat out on the lake, which was where they were the first time they really connected a year ago. She was sitting on his lap to look, and with a very full and bright moon it was difficult for them to see any stars at all. She took one of his hands into hers, and then went to hold his other hand... and in that hand she felt a small velvet box. Her body froze, but her neck was able to turn so she could face Billy, who said to her "There may not be stars in the sky, but we can add our own sparkle." He made her stand up, got down on one knee, and popped the question. After she quickly and happily said yes, he opened the box, put the ring on her finger, and gave her a kiss :-)
And, after a couple of minutes had gone by, Nicole said to Billy: "Did you just propose to me?" Billy said "Yes, I did..." to which Nicole replied "What did I say?"
He kissed her and said "You said yes."
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THE RODIN ROSE
While we were in Paris in summer 2011, we visited the Musée Rodin, home to many sculptures by French artist, Auguste Rodin, as well as some of his personal paintings from Renoir and van Gogh. On the grounds were beautiful roses and Nicole and Billy took many photographs. One in particular became the inspiration for the watercolor that Billy painted that is featured as a theme for the invitations and enclosures. We later found out that the name of this award-winning rose is "Peace."
Click on the thumbnail below for the picture of Billy's watercolor painting.
Click here for our gallery of photographs from the Musee Rodin.
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