Kristen & Alan

On a crisp October night in 2018, a casual plan set by mutual friends (Shannon and Kate) turned into something neither of us saw coming. What was meant to be just another night out in the city became the beginning of everything.

From there, it didn't take long. A first date at a Celtics game. Midday walks for pizza after realizing our office buildings were practically next door. The kind of ease that makes you wonder how you didn't meet sooner. What followed was less a straight line and more a series of chapters we chose—again and again—together.

We chased new places and new perspectives, traveling through Mexico, Spain, Italy, London, and Paris. At home, our world expanded in quieter ways too, with Bear and the addition of Mia, the two pups continued to be the center of our everyday lives.

There were defining moments, the kind that test and shape you. Learning how to share a space, then a life and a year-long move to Brewster. Navigating uncertainty, change, and everything in between. And then, building something of our own. Tilesboro Street wasn't just a renovation—it was a turning point. A vision brought to life, piece by piece. A home that reflects not only where we've been, but what we've built together.

Through every shift—pandemics, career pivots, new beginnings—we kept choosing each other. Not just in the big moments, but in the everyday ones that matter just as much. And now, here we are. Ready to start the next chapter—surrounded by the people who have been part of the story all along.

We know it's a time that's already full—busy, celebratory, sometimes even a little chaotic. But for us, the date has always had a backstory.

Long before we met, Alan and his friends had a tradition. It centered around a bar called An Tain—unassuming, a little rough around the edges, and somehow perfect. What started as a simple idea—can we rent it out for New Year's Eve?—turned into something much bigger. Year after year, a text would go out. And year after year, the same group—along with plenty of new faces—would come together to celebrate. It became a constant. A place where friendships deepened, where new ones formed, and where more than a few relationships began.

The final party was held on December 31, 2018. By then, Kristen and Alan had already met—but somehow, Kristen never got the invite (the party was, conveniently, "sold out."). And not long after, An Tain closed its doors for good. The tradition, it seemed, had come to an end.

But some things are worth bringing back. So this New Year's Eve, we're creating something new—rooted in a tradition that meant so much, but reimagined as the start of our next chapter. A celebration of where we've been, who we've met along the way, and everything still to come.

This time, we're hosting it together. And we cannot wait to celebrate with some of our favorite people who shared this journey with us.