It’s only right that the pair — also avid hikers — celebrated the next chapter of their lives on one of New England’s most picturesque hikes.
Photography by Tara Morris Images
The Meet Cute
Lauren and Peter met in 2016 at an international Catholic youth conference called World Youth Day. They were part of a large group traveling to Poland from Rhode Island – the newspaper Lauren was working for at the time tasked her with documenting the trip, while Pete had signed up for the trip with a group of his friends. Lauren’s friendship with the group quickly blossomed, though she could tell Peter liked her as more than a friend, since he always seemed to be waiting to walk next to her every time she got off the bus or hold her camera gear if she needed help. Towards the end of the trip, the two exchanged numbers. When they arrived at Logan airport, she was surprised that he disappeared without saying goodbye. “I teased him about it after, but he says it was just because he knew he’d see me again,” Lauren says. Their first date was dinner at Kay’s Restaurant (one of Lauren’s favorites in Woonsocket) and dessert at Pastiche (one of Peter’s favorites in Providence).
The Proposal
The couple, who’s been together for eight years, had been in talks about marriage here and there, so the element of surprise was in the “when.” Lauren and Peter would frequent the White Mountains of New Hampshire and go hiking with her family. On the Fourth of July, while hiking Mt. Willard with the group (her parents, brother, sister-in-law and then-one-year-old niece), Lauren’s mother insisted on taking photos of each couple with the beautiful view as their backdrop. When it was Lauren and Peter’s turn, he got down on one knee and proposed right on the overlook. “Mom had managed to smuggle Prosecco to the top so we could toast,” Lauren says. “I was so glad my whole family could be there for our special moment.”
