Steve and Hannah met in early February 2020. Hannah was a junior at Bryn Mawr College, living in the dorms and wrapping up her swim season. Steve was also a junior, at Temple University, commuting from Hatboro to North Philly at 5:00 a.m. and bartending late into the night. It was a schedule only caffeine and youth could sustain.

They immediately hit it off and talked for several hours a day. They bonded over their shared love for McDonalds, that they grew up within 20 minutes of each other, and the fact that they were both traumatized by the same movie at a young age (Prisoners, starring Hugh Jackman). You know, the important stuff.

They officially became a couple on February 29, 2020 (Leap Day) at the Bryn Mawr College Swim Team formal. Two weeks later, the world shut down in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Suddenly both were living at home with their parents, navigating a brand-new relationship, and realizing that COVID had a way of speeding things up. (There is nothing like a global lockdown to move “meet the parents” from Month 6 to Week 3).

Senior year happened mostly through screens. Hannah moved into a cozy apartment in Bryn Mawr, where some of the couple's happiest, early memories were made while the outside world paused. When things finally reopened, Steve and Hannah could often be found at The Grog, Xolos, or bopping around Ardmore.

That December, they began a Christmas tradition of spending a couple of nights in Peddler’s Village. Around the same time, Steve graduated a semester early and started his career at PECO, and Hannah got accepted to law school.

In 2021, Hannah graduated from Bryn Mawr and headed to law school. Steve was endlessly supportive. There were getaway trips to Venice, Florida; the adoption of Boo the cat (with Steve stepping into the “cat dad” role); and the discovery of their perfect date night rhythm: a great dinner out (Steve ordering the steak, Hannah the seafood pasta) followed by a shared drink and either Monopoly or Mario Party, depending on how competitive the evening needed to be.

Things escalated in December 2022, when Hannah’s dad, Todd, a lifelong and diehard Steelers fan, bought Steve an Eagles jersey for Christmas. This was widely considered a diplomatic breakthrough. Things escalated again in February 2024, when Steve and Hannah moved into their first apartment together in Ambler, PA.

The Proposal

After taking the bar exam in late July 2024, Hannah was, in her own words, “a shell of a person,” and therefore extremely limited in her ability to detect signs, patterns, or basic subtext. So when Steve told her he was taking her to Savona (one of the couple's favorite restaurants) on August 10, 2024, to “celebrate taking the bar exam” she didn’t think twice. Never mind that they had only ever gone to Savona for anniversaries. Never mind that she accidentally wore a white dress. Never mind anything at all, really—she was off her game.

They drove over (Hannah singing showtunes, Steve focused on driving and suppressing nerves), handed the keys to the valet (so Hannah wouldn’t spot her parents’ car), and headed to the hostess stand. Instead of asking for a table for two, Steve announced, “I know where I’m going,” and led her downstairs to a part of the restaurant she had no idea existed. Behind a curtain was a private wine cellar, complete with rose petals, romantic music, and a table covered in photos and pink roses. Steve got down on one knee. Hannah said yes. Then both families emerged from the kitchen to celebrate. Dinner turned into an after-party in Ambler, and shortly after, Steve and Hannah flew to Venice, Florida for an engagement-moon.

Since the proposal, life has only gotten better. They bought their first home in October 2025, spent a week in San Diego that November, and have genuinely enjoyed planning their wedding. They are each other's happiness, peace, and home.