Picture it! – Sicily, 1922. No, but for real it was something like that. Our individual stories started generations ago, with our parents and grandparents, great grandparents immigrating to the United States. It’s the best place to start because our relationship has become a colorful tapestry of our individual pasts, our families’ origins and our unique passions and interests.

For Will, his personal story started in Miami, a celebrated first son of Cuban and Puerto Rican heritage. Will loves to tell colorful tales about the miracle of his birth; he was born on Christmas Eve after all. Will quickly developed a passion for reading, and immersing himself in fantasy worlds of comics, magic and adventure. As time went on, Will’s love of superheroes and his respect for his father’s career as a nurse, led him to pursue a career in helping others. Will discovered that his passion was in healthcare, and this drive would lead him to fulfilling work in Tampa and later Seattle.

For Matthew, he also came into this world as a first-born son, and just as celebrated by his Italian, Irish, English, Welsh, Spanish...I can go on and on here…parents. Known fondly as a child by his parents and sisters as King Mattoo, Matthew grew up climbing trees, exploring the woods, dressing in costumes and singing everything possible. After once infamously telling his mother that he would never become a teacher because of how underappreciated she was, he later realized that he found tremendous purpose and fulfillment in educating and uplifting others. From teaching English in Madrid to working on special education research, he later obtained his teaching degree and set off to the Pacific Northwest.

Will might tell you that their initial meeting was just like the movie Pretty Woman. In reality, their initial meeting didn’t have anything to do with either of their occupations, eating snails or shopping at a high-end boutique, but Will is well-known as a lively and occasionally dramatic storyteller. It was a meet-cute nonetheless. The true story is, they met through their mutual friend Ian at a bar, and Matthew initially assumed that Will couldn’t be down-to-earth because of how handsome he was. Similar to other romantic comedies, it was a year-long montage of long workdays and futile romantic endeavors that led them back to each other. Coincidentally, this long, first-year apart also happened to overlap with the release of Taylor Swift’s Reputation album. If you know, you know. 😉

Let’s just say, by the time they met again, they were “Ready For It,” they were ready for each other. The first few months involved a very memorable first date on Alki beach with a bonfire, a Taylor Swift mashup dance party at Neumos dance club, and a harrowing first international trip to Vancouver Canada where Matthew didn’t realize his passport was expired. Thankfully, those courteous Canadians let them in anyway. 😊

From there, Matthew and Will learned that while they shared very similar values in life, they were also very different from each other. They like to joke that without Will, Matthew would forget to eat and might die from starvation, and without Matthew, Will might never leave the house or talk to anyone again. They have embraced their status as a complimentary pairing, one providing stability, security and decisiveness, while the other bringing adventure, spontaneity and profound Pisces emotions to the mix.

It was in the middle of their post-pandemic Pride party, when Matthew became overwhelmed with his Pisces feelings, and spontaneously proposed to Will in front of 50 of their closest friends. Important details of the event should include that Matthew had recently been inspired by Robyn’s “Show Me Love” and Will was dressed in a dazzling pair of mermaid leggings. At any rate, they both said yes.

In the years that Will and Matthew have been together, they’ve also weathered some storms. After Matthew’s father became sick, they decided as a couple to move from Seattle to help with Matthew’s family. During this time, they were able to purchase a home in Pittsburgh, adopt their beloved Laska, reconnect with friends, and visit Will’s family more often in Florida. Most importantly, they were able to spend very precious time with Matthew’s father before he passed.

In the past six years together, their shared love of adventure has taken them backpacking in the Cascades, kayaking the fjords of Alaska and on a wine drinking tour of southern Spain. Will has learned about the principles of “leave no trace” when experiencing nature and Matthew has learned that you can never add too much garlic to a recipe.

Will and Matthew could not be more thrilled to have you all by their side as they once again embrace adventure and take this brave and exciting next step together. Thank you to everyone for the role you’ve played in helping these two men on their road to one another and supporting their relationship through the thick and the thin. It is only with all your love and support that Will and Matthew have ended up here together. ¡Vivan los novios!