📸: MJL Photography and Films // @mjl_photo
Lexi Santanella of West Greenwich, Rhode Island and Colin Tierney of East Greenwich, Rhode Island are engaged! The long-distance couple will say yes to spending forever together on August 12, 2023 at the Atlantic Resort in Middletown, Rhode Island.
How We Met
Colin and I met through his older brother Ryan. I was invited by Ryan to Colin’s house party one night in 2016. We were introduced to each other and ended up talking most of the night. Colin had such a warm and mesmerizing smile, I could not stop thinking about it. After that night, I decided to go visit him while he was at school in New York City. We instantly hit it off and spent the next three years in a long distance relationship while we were in college.
When he graduated in 2019 and came home to RI, we didn’t want to spend any more time apart. We decided to move to North Carolina shortly after for a chance to experience the rest of the world outside of New England. We have been down here since, but value the time we get to spend with our family when we travel back up to RI!
Our Proposal Story
Colin and I had traveled back up to Rhode Island for our annual July summer trip. After cancelled flights, rough weather conditions and a long travel day, we finally landed in Providence. Exhausted, we headed straight to Narragansett to meet our friends and family at their beach house. A few hours later, we planned to take the annual family picture with Colin’s family. As I got ready for the picture, Colin told me his family needed a little longer and wanted us to get to the spot to meet the photographer and scope out the best picture spots. I agreed to go with Colin to Point Judith Lighthouse, completely unaware of the plan, or the fact that he had the huge ring box in his back pocket the entire time.
We hiked up the hill at sunset to view the lighthouse and I took a couple of test shots. I turned to head down the hill and Colin grabbed my hand and looked at me with what looked like panic in his eyes. He knelt down and then I realized what was happening. I have no idea what he said, but thankfully, a nice woman who was on vacation from Europe recorded the entire thing and sent it to me. It was one of the best days of my life! When Colin and I returned to the beach house, our family and friends were waiting for us with champagne and lots of hugs!
