Wedding Week II: A Relationship Timeline
We often make mention of random milestones in our relationship – meeting in NYC, moving to Virginia, etc. – and we realized that the timing of all those events probably isn’t always clear. So we figured Wedding Week Dos was the perfect opportunity to chronologically recount how boy met girl, they fell in love, moved to the south, got a chihuahua and started a blog. You know, your typical love story…
2004
- June: I start my job as Assistant Account Executive at a New York City ad agency.
- August: Sherry starts her job as a Copywriter at the very same ad agency a month later.
- September: Sherry gets assigned to write commercials for the account I manage. We meet, but rarely interact.
2005
- January – May: Sherry keeps getting assigned to projects with me. We bond over watching bad reality TV and begin spending more time together outside of work, moving past “coworkers” to “friends.”
- July 7th: A casual after-work party turns into an unofficial first date. We cap off the night with a kiss (and although none of our friends believe it, I actually kissed her first).
- Late July: Just weeks after beginning to date, I invite Sherry on a trip home to meet my family in Virginia (!), giving Sherry her first official taste of life in VA. Here we are touring my alma mater UVA:
- October: We take our first vacation together to drive the California coast (from San Diego to San Francisco) with my cousin Travis. It’s one of the best trips either of us have ever been on.
- November: I spend Thanksgiving with Sherry’s family in New York (our first official family holiday together).
- December: We make the decision to move to Virginia together after just six months of dating with zero hesitation.
2006
- January: We interview for jobs at the same Richmond ad agency (we like working together since it’s the way we met). After a bunch of undercover research, I buy an engagement ring.
- February: Our new jobs at the same agency don’t come through. Employers won’t take us seriously until we live in Virginia, so we decide to make the move and find jobs when we get there. Scary!
- February 25: We leave NYC in a minivan (after snapping this photo), arrive in Richmond and move into a new apartment together (which we furnish with mismatched hand-me-downs).
- March: Within two weeks, I land a new job at a downtown ad agency (were I still work to this day). Sherry builds up a client roster and decides to write commercial scripts and magazine ads as a full-time freelancer from home (lucky girl).
- March 18: I propose. Sherry says “yes.” More on that later…
- April 22: Our first weekend of casual house-hunting turns into buying our first home (a little brick ranch that needs a lot of love).
- May 25: We close on our oldie-but-a-goodie house and begin the moving in and renovating process (three years later we’re still at it).
- July 7: To celebrate our one year anniversary of dating, I surprise Sherry with a trip to the Outer Banks.
- October: We take a second vacation together and this time it’s back to California, just the two of us. We marvel that we don’t even fight after a week of non-stop hanging out. Life is good.
- November 28: After months of dog-hunting, we finally find a funny looking chihuahua that needs a good home. Hamburger (aka: Burger) joins the Petersik family.
2007:
- January – June: Crazy wedding planning and prep fills every spare moment and we quickly realize that we like teaming up and DIYing out hearts out.
- July 7: The backyard wedding goes off without a hitch. Travis (the guy who joined us on our first California road trip) officiates the ceremony. “I do”s are exchanged. Happily ever after begins.
- July 10 – 16: We honeymoon in Alaska. A certain small dog joins us for this “family” road trip full of adventure and goofiness. More on that later…
- September: With wedding expenses out of the way, we decide to put a bit of our savings towards a kitchen remodel.
- September 24: I write the first post on a new blog that I suggest we call “Young House Love.” Sherry begrudgingly warms up to the idea of blogging about our home improvement projects in our spare time. The rest, as they say, is history.
Pretty much every milestone after that is documented right here on this blog. We know it may seem fast moving to a new city, getting engaged and buying a house within our first year of dating, but each step felt so natural and we didn’t feel rushed at all. We must admit that now we look back with a bit of amazement! But I guess when you know, you know.
Do you guys have any interesting relationship timelines of your own? Did anything happen super speedily or perhaps quite the opposite? Did you and your bf/husband meet at work or at play? It’s always fun to hear all the different ways we come to the decision to be with a certain person for the long haul, so share and share alike.
PS: For a photographic look back at our life’s timeline (even before we met) you can check out this Flickr set, an electronic version of the clothesline “slideshow” we displayed at our wedding.
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Comments
haha megan we are “long-dating” sisters!
’00 – et husband and went to him prom; then he’s off to college
’00 to Spring ’01- long distance dating
Spring ’01 – went to my prom and then to SAME COLLEGE
May ’04 – husband graduates from college and moves to TX for job
May ’05 – I graduate and move to TX for job (we were lucky in our timing of school and jobs)
June ’06 – Husband proposes! I said yes :)
January ’06 – We both apply and get into grad school!
August ’06 – We start grad school in Philly (after MONTHS of worrying about getting accepted together)
Oct ’07 – We get married!!!
June ’08 – buy our condo in the city!
today–still trying to redesign our place!
Love the timeline, Sherry and John. Just like you two, my husband and I met at work in 2004, started dating after quality co-worker/friend time, kept our relationship a secret to maintain professionalism, and moved 6+ hours away pre-ring (just like John, my husband had purchased the ring before the move and it came out a couple months later). Our co-workers were floored when the announcement was made! We tied the knot in December 2007. After our experience, I love hearing a good meet-at-work, happily-ever-after story!
Indeed! the timeline is kinda detailed and brings a lot of memories of both of you. I’m not yet married but I’m planning sooner or later. My partner and I are still preparing for the time of wedding. Hope our plan will work.
We meet my second week of college, it was his last year. I was dating someone else at the time. For four months, we were best friends and I practically lived in his apartment (which was across the street from mine in Arlington). My relationship with the other guy ended, and Wil and I started dating pretty much right away. After about two months of dating, we decided to move in together. We quickly realized that staying in the D.C. area was way out of our budget (since we wouldn’t be in housing anymore), so we decided to move to Texas (hey, housing here is super cheap!). We packed up the car and drove down. We lived without furniture for six months, and neither one of us had a job when we moved down here. After three years of living in Texas, and almost four years of dating, Wil purposed on July 4th. We’re getting married next June, and moving back to the DC area!
January 2006: I graduate from college and dramatically choose to up and leave and move back to Philadelphia. My brother asks me to come live with him to save money. I left everything I owned, and moved 600 miles back to the suburbs with just my wardrobe and television.
February 2006: Land a job in a non-profit Theatre, my field of choice! My brother tells me he doesn’t want me working in the city and forces me to choose between staying with him for free, or the low paying job. At the risk of loosing my brother and not yet having anywhere to live, i took the job. My brother was furious, wanted nothing to do with me, and kicked me out. It was one of the few times i actually listened to my gut, instead of my head. I knew i needed to take that job.
March 2006: At my first opening night party at the theatre, my friend wants to introduce me to N, I had noticed this tall man before and had my eyes set on him. She introduces us with a “K, this is N, you two should make-out”. After some small talk, he sent his date home and met up with me at the after party. I’ll never forget going into the bathroom just before we left, looking in the mirror and smiling. i knew i met the man i had waited my whole life for. And he was outside waiting for me. He walked me home that night, and we have been together ever since.
February 2007: Just shy of 1 year together, N asks me to move in with him. We rent until…
July 2008: After a year of looking, we put in an offer on our dream home, and we get it! great neighborhood, drastically low price, fixer upper…score, score, score ( i should also mention, N is a carpenter- MAJOR SCORE!)
September 2008: Demolition begins….
June 2009: Finish master bedroom and bath…still trying to get those finishing touches done. N installed the hardwood floors himself, and i painted. Life has been a little hectic, renovations have been slow.
March 2010: About to start up with projects, up next : sanding and staining furniture in a money saving effort.
And sitting pretty, waiting for the ring… : )
Oh fun! Just found this! Here’s our story:
May ’00- Heidi is 15, Ed is 18. We meet at church in Flint, MI by chance. Ed is from Texas but in MI going to school.
Aug ’00- Ed is heading back to Texas, asks Heidi if he can write her. Yes, absolutely.
Sep ’00- Heidi gets impatient for Ed’s letter, writes him first and thus the beginning of over 150 hand written letters over the course of three years…
Aug ’03- After a three year long-distance relationship with a few visits in here and there, Ed asks Heidi to marry him. Yes, absolutely. Heidi is 18, Ed, 21. Soooooo young!
Oct ’03- We become Mr. & Mrs. Harris.
June ’04- We welcome our baby boy, Clay.
April ’06- Here comes our sweet daughter, Audrey.
Aug ’09- Nine years together already? Whoa.
Oct’09- Celebrate six wonderful years of marriage
Nov ’09- Last, but certainly not least, our baby River is born.
Glad y’all had this! It was lots of fun! :-)
oohh… this looks like fun
2005
January – first encounter over a blender and tequila margaritas
April – Mr. Right tracks down my number and asks me on a date. We talk about soccer, neither of us likes soccer.
– (a week and a half later in fact) Mr. meets my parents, I his and they meet eachother at a rodeo/my sister’s de-crowning as Calgary Stampede queen – random?
– we begin to spend weekends house shopping and are addressed as husband and wife for the first (not last) time
– the “when’s the wedding jokes begin”
June – Mr. purchases a home in my neighbourhood, we begin renovating. At this point we are living together
October – hunker down for Canadian winter, I am at Uni, Mr is working out of town a lot
2006 – a blur
2007
August – Mr quits his job, he has been accepted to uni.
September – Mr moves to BC and attends day one of a 4 year degree
October – we become parents to the cutest dog on earth (sorry Burger)
December – I move to BC to complete my degree
February – the reno’d house is sold, sad to see the bonding project go
June – I graduated!
2008 –
October – I start a great job working with First Nations Youth
December – we move to dreamland (rental on an organic cherry orchard)
2009 –
August – a fab. road trip down the west coast from Canadian border to just north of LA
2010
June – Mr proposes with a gorgeous ring
June – I go into a DIY wedding planning frenzy
June – I quit my job to manage a local owned, locally supplied organic coffeshop/restaurant
June – I start a blog, inspired by my daily reads younghouselove and goinghometoroost among others
now you’ll have to excuse me as I’m off to enter for a chance to win those amazing invites
I just found your blog. You guys are sooo cute. It is funny you guys honeymooned in Alaska, I am from Alaska and that is where I met my TEXAN!!!
Your blog is adorable. I will definitely be using some of the wedding tips :) i’m planning a wedding (Nov 20, 2010) in AUSTRALIA! I definitely agree with the statement–sometimes you just know. I met my Aussie while living in DC at the end of 2006. He started saving for a ring 3 wks later. We’ve spent the last 3 years living 150 miles apart while I’ve been in law school. He drove down every weekend and never once complained. Love is absolutely amazing.
This is lovely! Been married for 12 years now and seeing how cute you two are with your anniversary gifts, it really has inspired me to do more ‘special’ things for which we currently don’t take the time to do. We mostly spend our time at home and with our 4 legged furry kids (total of 5!)
Our birthdays are coming up (mine is the 20th and his the 16th), can you give any birthday suggestions? I am so horrible at this kind of thing. Your blog has definitely inspired me to get creative and make our house ‘a home’. Right now we are trying to save as much as we can (recommended to save 3-6 months worth of living expenses, yikes!)
Awesome DIY couple. Love the story, images, and the DIY attitude towards life. You guys are awesome.
We are definitely opposite!
April ’02- I’m a sophomore in high school, he’s a junior (we’re both 16ish)…start dating, knew it was crazy real even at such a young age
May ’03- husband graduates HS, goes to college 2 hours away
May ’04- I graduate, go to a different college 4 hours away
(large space inbetween…)
May ’07- husband graduates college, starts working
Dec ’08- I graduate from college, start grad school at the same college since the one in his town didn’t have my degree program
Feb ’08- he proposed, I said yes of course!
Jan ’09- we got married and I moved to his city to finish my master’s internship
May ’09- graduated with my master’s and started my first real job in June
Aug ’09- closing on our first home next week!
*we were long-distance the entirety of our relationship minus our first year…went from long-distance until in the same house on our wedding night(I guess we laid a strong foundation!) We are madly in love and are grateful we waited for each other and allowed each other to follow our paths on our own before getting married.