Michael & Eric in St. Louis, MO

Long before Michael and Eric were a couple, their friends knew that they were perfect for each other. The two met as freshmen at the University of Maryland, College Park, and shared the same group of friends who insisted that they should date. “We resisted for three years and stayed just friends,” says Michael. “We finally started dating at the beginning of our senior year.” The Bride Michael Hopkins, law school graduate The Groom Eric Nawrocki, PhD student The Date May 19 A few years later, the two were visiting Michael’s parents’ home on the Jersey Shore for Christmas. Michael was dying to take their dog Lucy on her very first run on the beach, so she and Eric woke up early and headed to the shore. “While I was laughing at Lucy as she chased sea foam, Eric was fumbling in his pocket for my early Christmas present,” remembers Michael.