Emilee Daddio
&
Matthew Anzolletti 

In January of 2020, while the world was only a few months away from experiencing uncertainty in the middle of a global pandemic, two paths would cross.

 

After a long day at work and school, Matt’s best friend, Brandon (Emilee’s neighbor at UCONN), convinced Matt to make the hour drive up to the University of Connecticut. Matt arrived a little after midnight, while excited to make it a memorable night with friends and good times, he didn’t know how much his life would change. Soon after Matt’s arrival, Emilee walked in with her college roommates, Beth and Elizabeth, leaving Matt to think, “I’d be the luckiest man in the world to call her my girlfriend.” The night ensued without Matt approaching, fearing proverbial rejection, he settled for a high five from Emilee after a game the group was playing, and took it as a “success”.

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Soon thereafter, the world was shutting down, social distancing and quarantines were in effect, and it was absolutely the worst time to be thinking about dating. True to her nature, Emilee reached out to Brandon to ask how he and his friend Matt were doing since several months had passed since their first encounter. Matt saw this as a perfect opportunity to reconnect after that life-altering “high five”. The two scheduled their first official date in late September, and like all other college dates (well, like most college dates, but this was with masks and sanitizer), it was at a local bar and a pool table where bets were made. Matt, referencing the Billy Madison movie, bet Emilee that if she wins, she never has to talk to Matt again. But if Matt wins, Emilee owes him a life-threatening kiss (COVID, of course). The game was on … Emilee’s competitiveness quickly became evident. The game got so serious to the point they would not speak to each other, and Matt thought, “This girl hates me and never wants to talk to me again.” It came down to the 8-ball, and Matt won. The first kiss left both feeling, “This may turn into something special.” However, with a global pandemic happening, there was a ton of uncertainty in the air. With minimal options and quarantines still taking place, there would be some delay until Emilee and Matt's next time together. They would grow their relationship the old-fashioned way by talking, texting, and looking for outdoor activities such as going ice skating (one of Emilee’s favorites). They took the relationship to the next step and were exclusive as of November 27th, 2020. Graduating from college in 2021, they would become inseparable, traveling together domestically and internationally and moving into an apartment in 2022.

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Not too long after, Matt spoke with Emilee's parents about planning a proposal and chose to do it during a family vacation to Myrtle Beach. Matthew originally wanted to propose to Emilee on the pier at sunset (just as he saw in the many pictures of Myrtle Beach). However, for those who have visited Myrtle, it isn’t a sunset you see at the pier but rather a sunrise. Frantically, he was looking for the perfect spot, when Emilee’s parents simply recommended a quiet spot on the beach that has a break towards the west. They helped Matt with the surprise by recommending an after-dinner stroll. At the right location, they said to the couple that they would like to take a picture of them. Unbeknownst to Emilee, her parents were recording to share the special moment with Matt’s family back in Connecticut. On June 29th, to the backdrop of the beach and a South Carolina sunset, Matt proposed to Emilee, who was completely overwhelmed by the surprise, and once past the disbelief, she said yes.

 

Now they’re so excited to spend the culmination of five years (and one day, since Thanksgiving got in the way) of hard work, laughs, tears, and a whole lot of love together with all of you!