Heather & Steven

(if you don’t want to read our self-indulgent biographies…skip to the self-indulgent slideshow at the bottom)

Heather

For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Heather, she’s a relaxed, laugh-tastic lass who likes to drink sweet tart martinis, del’s lemonade, and milkshakes.  She also likes babies and quiet alone-time.  Heather was born and raised in EAST Providence, RI by two loving parents and an older sister, Erica.  Growing up, Heather played piano and flute (in the marching band and concert band) and also played basketball and volleyball.  She also loves cooking, organizing, leisurely happy hours, and watching Wipeout and Jeopardy with her family.  And nearly everything Italian.  Except Giada de Laurentiis’ accent.  In college, Heather majored in Psychology, and later this fall she will be attending Brown Graduate School, where she will spend two years earning her Masters of Public Health.

Steven

Steven is a warm, intelligent guy who is known for giving great hugs, making huge messes in the kitchen, and deftly navigating LA traffic. He grew up in Downey, Ca (think Los Angeles), the youngest of 4 children and the only boy (i.e., the little prince). Steven’s main hobbies are baking/cooking, cycling, and playing guitar.  Like Heather, he also majored in Psychology during college. After graduating, he spent a year living in Seattle as a Jesuit Volunteer, and he currently works as a Research Assistant at USC’s School of Social Work. This fall he will be going to Harvard to get his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology.

Our Story

Our first picture, en-route to the Berkeley College dance--we didn't go together.

Heather & Steven (a.k.a. “we”) met as Freshmen in August of 2005 when we were both randomly assigned to…GRYFFINDOR!!!—I mean—Berkeley College, one of 12 residential colleges (aka dorms) at Yale.  We lived in the same entryway, with Heather’s room directly above Steven’s. We bonded quickly, each identifying the other as one of our first friends at school. Our friendship grew over the next few years as we spent time together in New Haven and beyond. In 2006, Heather visited Steven in L.A. In 2008, Steven visited Heather in Providence. And when Heather returned to L.A. in March 2009, the rest was history. By April 3, 2009 (2 weeks after this visit), we were a couple.

And yes, we are well aware that we knew each other for 4 years but waited until one month before graduation to get together. Better late, than never!

Setting up camp in Acadia

After graduation, we spent most of the summer together—camping in Acadia National Park (Maine), visiting L.A, and spending time in Rhode Island and Connecticut.  After saying goodbye in July, we embarked upon a tough year on opposite sides of the country— Heather in Providence and Steven in Seattle. Two trips to the east coast, 2 trips to Seattle, 1 trip to LA, dozens of phone calls, hundreds of emails, and thousands of texts later, we reunited when we both moved to Los Angeles in 2010.

Under the warm and welcoming roof of Steven’s parents, Mary & Art, we made up for the long year apart, going from long distance to constant companionship in a few short weeks.  We even coordinated our job-hunts so that we could commute to and from work together.  (Aren’t we cute?)

Right after she said "yes!"

On December 27, 2010 Steven proposed to Heather in Providence.  She said………… “Are you serious?”……….. and then of course, she said “yes” : ). The restaurant was delicious (Siena, on Atwells Ave.), the weather was romantically wintery, and most importantly, the ring was gorgeous. Good job Steven! ; )

Seven months later, here we are planning our wedding.  As we were contemplating where to celebrate it, we couldn’t think of any place more special to us and our relationship than New Haven. It’s where we met, where we spent 4 years growing and learning about ourselves, and where our relationship began.   It was the city that felt right and the one we wanted to share most with you, our closest friends and family. (Our wedding day, coincidently, falls 3 years to the day since our Yale Commencement day).

Picture Slideshow

In May, we had engagement pictures taken in Laguna Beach, Ca. Click on the youtube video below to see a slideshow of our favorite pictures.  Turn your volume up (and use full screen for better video proportions)!