Brian and Michaella’s paths first crossed in 2019 when Brian relocated his team to Merrill Lynch in New York City. As luck would have it, Michaella and her cousin, Addie, were also working at the firm. During a work training trip to Baltimore, Michaella, Addie, and Brian’s teammates quickly bonded —without Brian.




Despite Brian’s initial reluctance, his roommate and teammate, Joe, was persistent to get him involved. One step in to the bar, seeing Michaella, Brian changed his mind, introducing himself immediately. Michaella’s first words (that Brian can remember) was “You don’t remember my name?” After that night, Brian became the persistent one, and spent months clawing his way out of the ‘friend-zone’.


The tides turned when Michaella couldn’t find a karaoke partner at the company Christmas Party. Although Brian was her 7th choice, he nailed the Lion King song and they shared their first kiss.


When everyone was sent home from the office for COVID, Brian spontaneously invited Michaella to escape to St. Augustine, Florida. Three weeks later, they were inseparable, driving back north up to Maryland in a rental car with their newly adopted puppy, Ranger, in the backseat.




Life moved quickly from there. They spent two years living together and exploring the east and west coasts of Maryland, as well as Long Beach Island, before finally settling in Hoboken with Ranger and their bulldog, Piggy.


Fast forward to July 2024, Brian proposed in St. Michaels, Maryland, and a week later, they bought a house and moved to Fair Haven, NJ (Michaellaville)- where Michaella grew up. Now onto the next chapter of their story.