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02/12/2026 | News release | Distributed by Public on 02/12/2026 14:03

Double Terrier Couples Share Their Marriage Proposal Stories

Double Terrier Couples Share Their Marriage Proposal Stories

Raeanne Villongco Quinn (CFA'17) and Chris Quinn (CFA'18) after getting married at Marsh Chapel in September 2025. Photo by Lauren Ragusa.

Valentine's Day

Double Terrier Couples Share Their Marriage Proposal Stories

Thinking of popping the question this Valentine's Day? These BU engagement stories offer plenty of inspiration

February 12, 2026
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It's February, which means love is in the air-Valentine's Day is February 14, and according to the wedding website The Knot, it's one of the most popular days of the year in the United States to get engaged (Christmas Day tops the list). If you're thinking about popping the question, these proposal stories from double Terriers offer plenty of inspiration.

Geneve Lau (COM'21) and Alex Wadsworth (CGS'17, Questrom'19)

Although they overlapped at BU, Geneve and Alex didn't cross paths until Geneve's final semester-on the dating app Hinge. ("Yes, a Hinge success story!" Geneve says.) Their first date was in 2021 via FaceTime, pandemic-style. "He sent me a Google Calendar invite, and if you know me at all, you know this is the way to my heart, given I am very Type A and a Capricorn," Geneve says.

They made their relationship official a month later, dated long distance for a year, and moved in together in June 2022.

Alex proposed in Central Park's Conservatory Garden in New York City, a setting that reminded them of Versailles, which they'd visited the year before. Alex had plaques made of their milestone "dates"-their first date, when they became official, when they moved in together-and then, the date of the proposal. A photographer captured the moment from across the garden. Both sets of parents arrived later with a massive bouquet, and the next day there was a surprise engagement party with all their friends.

Amy Shanler (CAS'96, COM'96,'04), College of Communication professor of the practice of public relations and associate chair of the mass communication, advertising and public relations department, and Mike Shanler (ENG'97)

Photo courtesy of the Shanlers

After they'd been dating for six years, Mike planned a mystery trip. He wouldn't reveal the destination to Amy, only that she needed a passport.

At Logan Airport, no one would tell Amy where they were headed. It wasn't until she was in line at Starbucks and commenting how eerie the airport felt ("It was soon after 9/11, so things were quieter than normal," she says) that the person next to her remarked that everyone left in the airport was probably on the last flight out to Paris.

"I was excited, but muted," Amy remembers. She and Mike had been to Paris before, and though she was hoping for a proposal, she wasn't making any assumptions.

Once they were there, Mike kept asking Amy to go for a nighttime stroll, but for one reason or another it didn't happen until the third night. Following a nice dinner and a brief spat over directions, Mike took her hand and led her to the Pont des Arts bridge, where he proposed. And 25 years later, they still visit the bench anytime they're in Paris.

Raeanne Villongco Quinn (CFA'17) and Chris Quinn (CFA'18)

Photo by Daniel Torobekov

Raeanne and Chris were close friends for eight years before dating.

Hawaii-particularly Oahu-had long been Raeanne's happy place. She travels there once or twice a year, often staying for a month to surf. She and Chris also share a love of scuba diving. In 2024, while Raeanne was in Oahu with her freshman-year roommate, Chris surprised her during a dive off the North Shore-getting down on one knee underwater (now that's romance!) .

They married last September at Marsh Chapel, with a reception at the Boston Park Plaza.

Holly Haire (CFA'94) and Breen Haire (CFA'94)

Holly and Breen met on Move-in day freshman year ("it was pretty instantaneous love at first sight for me," Holly says). Senior year, over brunch and right before their Eggs Benedict arrived, Breen got down on one knee and proposed.

Afterward, the two theater majors headed to separate rehearsals (Holly was in Much Ado About Nothing, Breen in The Seagull). Bursting to share the news, but stuck in a tech rehearsal, Holly stayed mum until a friend squeezed her hand, felt the ring, and spread the news (quietly) through the cast.

They have been married for 31 years, have three kids, two (twins) now members of the Class of 2029. "Forever a Terrier," Holly says.

Allen Michel, Questrom School of Business professor emeritus of finance, and Roberta Clarke, Questrom associate professor emerita of marketing

Photo courtesy of Michel/Clarke

Allen and Roberta were colleagues before romance entered the picture. One fall day, as they planned a drive, Allen realized his car keys were locked in his apartment. "To my amazement, Bobbi [Roberta] volunteered to climb in through a window about six feet off the ground," he recalls. "She did it so impressively in seconds, with the ease of a cat burglar. I was thoroughly impressed."

A few days later, they drove to New York City to stay with friends, and Bobbi fit right in. "The evening was wonderful, and we realized we were in love," Allen says. "The following day we walked through Central Park and decided how many kids we'd have. That was it! We were engaged in three weeks."

They were married in 1977 and have two kids and now, three grandchildren.

Cecilia Yudin (CFA'09, MET'14, Questrom'22), director of Questrom's Center for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, and Malcolm Doldron, director of Women's Rowing

Photo courtesy of Yudin/Doldron

Malcolm and Cecilia met at the BU faculty and staff holiday party in December 2014. They were introduced three separate times that night by various friends.

Four years later, Malcolm, Cecilia, and her family traveled to Cartagena, Spain, and Malcolm planned to propose. "I spent a week walking around with the ring in my coat pocket, worried that Cecilia would find it," he says. Towards the end of the trip, the family visited the nearby Cabo de Palos lighthouse, and he knew he'd found the perfect spot. As he and Cecilia walked along the ocean, Malcolm asked her mother to take their photo, and "that's when I made my move," he says.

But Cecilia wanted Malcolm to have his moment too. Seven months later, she planned her own proposal. An initial attempt on the Rose Kennedy Greenway (where they had their first kiss) was derailed when Malcolm grew distracted, worried that her sister was lost when they didn't meet up as planned. In fact, her sister and her partner "were hiding nearby to document everything," Cecilia says.

Finally, that night, crossing over a bridge in Fort Point, she popped the question. "Now it's one of our favorite places to go in Boston, as it brings back great memories of that night," Cecilia says.

Ray Joyce (Questrom'91), School of Social Work assistant dean of development, and Michele Joyce (SSW'24)

Photo courtesy of the Joyces

More than 30 years ago, Ray and Michele stayed at a tiny beach shack on Cahoon Hollow Beach in Wellfleet. Ray planned a sunrise proposal and as a decoy, convinced Michele to join him for early-morning photos. After setting up the camera and posing her on a piece of driftwood, he proposed-and she reciprocated by proposing right back.

They have been happily married for 31 years-and their three children are also Terriers.

Andrew Ryan (Wheelock'20, Questrom'27), associate director for advising, Office of the Registrar, and Erin Ryan (Wheelock'04,'15)

Photo courtesy of the Ryans

The Ryans met in a BU classroom in 2007 and bonded over shared experiences-including surviving childhood cancer. (Both are healthy today.)

In 2010, Andrew planned a trip to Portland, Maine, with Erin and gifted her an album filled with photos and mementos from their first two years together. At the end, the pages were blank except for two words: "Wedding Photos." "I got down on one knee and pulled the ring from my pocket," he says. "She immediately ran over and tackled me. I asked her to marry me, and she said yes."

They were married in June 2011, and the professor whose class they met in-Dan Davis, a Wheelock School of Education clinical assistant professor of education who died in 2011-spoke at their wedding.

"We are both healthy and still madly in love," Andrew says.

Stephanie Rodriguez (CAS'19) and Angel Rodriguez (LAW'23)

Believing Angel was out of town, Stephanie dressed up for what she thought was a friend's surprise birthday party at BU's Duan Family Center for Computing & Data Sciences. But when the elevator doors opened, Angel-very much not out of town-was waiting.

The two stepped onto a balcony overlooking the Charles River, where an archway and a path lined with photos marked the site of their engagement. "In that moment, everything clicked-shock, joy, and tears all rushed in at once," Stephanie says.

They were married in March 2025, and her TikTok video of the proposal has since topped 1.4 million views.

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