Our Story
Joe and Maggie met at Thomas Jefferson High School in Alexandria, Virginia as sophomores in 2010. If you ask Maggie, it all began in gym class where their natural athleticism and inherent chemistry made them a formidable team in whatever made-up sport they happened to be playing that day. However, according to Joe, the magic really started in Driver’s Ed the semester before where he couldn’t help but notice her radiant smile from across the room. Following their formal introduction in gym class, the next several months were filled with many 8th period study hall hangouts, trips to Rita’s Italian ice after school, and a school-sponsored 5K.
On May 23, 2011, after weeks of second-guessing himself and dozens of times running through the lines in his head, Joe finally mustered up the courage to ask Maggie out near the end of 8th period. “What?” she replied, having not heard him. Joe, having blacked out while asking this, took a second to regroup before processing that the appropriate course of action was to repeat the question, this time a bit louder over all of the surrounding noise. Lucky for him, the answer was a resounding yes, and so their relationship formally began with an agreement to go see Thor at Tyson’s Corner that weekend.
Their relationship continued for two and a half years while they finished high school, attending such events as the Fairfax Fair, football games, and of course, several school dances. An agreement was made ahead of time, however, to split up at the beginning of college—several thousand miles apart—with the understanding that the door would be open in the future if they were still interested.
Three years after the initial breakup, they were indeed still interested. A summer trip for Joe out to San Diego marked the informal beginning of their paths back to each other, and it was undeniably love at second sight, as the saying goes. With Joe’s sister Rachel getting married, and Maggie agreeing (or rather, inviting herself) to be Joe’s date, they found themselves together again in Northern Virginia on September 23, 2016. Maggie this time did the honors of asking Joe out, to which he ecstatically agreed.
For the two years following, the couple dated long distance, making several trips to see each other in California and Alabama, as well as places such as Nashville and Atlanta for fun weekend getaways. Eventually, with Joe deciding to attend grad school at UT Austin and Maggie having always wanted to move to Texas, all signs pointed to the Lone Star State and Joe and Maggie relocated to Austin in August of 2018. They’ve lived together there happily ever since with their loving dog, Hank Jr.
After years and years of bliss, Joe decided to propose, and plans were made for March 27, 2021. After scouting out a picturesque spot at Zilker Botanical Gardens with his groomsman Andrew, Joe asked Maggie if she would join him on a date the following Saturday. He planned a delicious brunch at Odd Duck, followed by a walk around the botanical gardens which eventually led them out over stepping stones to a small island within a koi pond. Just as it had happened years before, Joe blacked out, notably forgetting every line that he had spent so long preparing. Despite this, Maggie said yes yet again, and the rest is history.
