Abigail Nutter
and
Luke Modzier
Please join us for our wedding celebration on
A Virtual Microwedding
“I knew I wanted to be in this person’s life, and I wanted them in mine forever.” - Luke
“I know it sounds cheesy to say, “love at first sight,” but with us I really felt that strong connection immediately.” - Abby
Abby and Luke first met with the help of their mutual friend Meg, who was determined to set them up, after working with Luke for a little over a month. Her exact words to Abby were “I found him. I found your soulmate.” If asked, Meg would say that they were a “perfect match” and that she knew it from the very beginning.
Both of them (incredibly nervous), met in the leadership office on Douglass Campus at Rutgers University, many years ago (2013 to be exact). The same campus that Luke would continue to look for every excuse to spend extra time at, so that he could easily run into Abby, who was known for her long stints in the DCC computer lab and almost always seen outside the Dunkin Donuts.
“I remember thinking how handsome he was, he was wearing his red and white plaid shirt and khakis. He was SO TALL! When I saw him, I got totally tongue-tied, no joke! He had and has the most wonderful smile and laugh.”
“I knew immediately (from the butterflies in my stomach) that Abby was special and that I had never met anyone like her before. Everything in my life changed after meeting her and for me, there was never a “friends” moment with us, I always liked her.”
As you can see, it was clear from the first time they met, that this was something special.
After the first sighting, the ladies got together and participated in the classic ritual of stalking the potential love interest on Facebook. A few days later I found myself sitting DIRECTLY across from Luke and I immediately texted Abby with my thoughts. I remember thinking he was so short, (which now I can only explain as a gross inaccuracy on my part) and there might have been a small mention of his hairy legs, but I will not bore you with that. As I was about to leave, I stood up and he stopped and let me off the bus before him. Why is this important? Well anyone who has been on a Rutgers bus will know. That was my first encounter with Luke, and it was kind and sweet and he had my vote. Once I texted Abby that he was a perfect gentleman, she said “oh good, crisis averted.”
Our favorite matchmaker stepped in once again to create what we now call Ab and Luke’s “unofficial first date.” In true best friend fashion, Meg planned a dinner for the three of them, and it was only 5 minutes into the dinner before Meg realized she had “forgotten” about an event she had to attend and left Abby and Luke to finish the dinner alone.
“Our first planned-by-both-sides-date would happen a few weeks later but this was as lovely as any date the two of us have ever had.” - Luke
Luke had planned to ask Abby out in person at her job, but before he could get the words out, he got a call from his mom and left without asking the question. Abby to this day is still skeptical if Luke (actually) got a call from his mom, but he swears by it.
“After I worked my way through the maze that is known as the Hickman Hall, I knocked on the door of Abby’s office and we spoke for maybe a minute or two. Then, I got a call from my mom, and it threw me off my game and I awkwardly excused myself without asking her out.”
A few days later, Cabaret Theatre was having a show and knowing Abby would be there, Luke planned to attend and ask Abby out that night. Unfortunately, this did not happen either. Luke would say it was a bad case of the nerves and the size of the crowd that got the best of him. However, he was still determined and later that night, he finally asked her out via text. She said yes (of course)! Third time’s the charm!
“I made sure I wore my favorite red dress (actually texting my mom to drive it over from home) and we spoke a little before and after the show. But he never asked me out, I was so disappointed! Then he got on a bus and a minute later I got a text asking me to dinner that following week.”
Downtown, New Brunswick. Close in on Ab and Luke conversing over Ben Affleck as Batman (a debate amongst many to this day...I am a Michael Keaton fan myself), Bruce Springsteen (a necessity in all first date dialog within NJ state lines), and musicals. This, in my opinion, is the most important piece of the love story thus far. The very moment when it was absolutely clear that this was meant to be. Abby, an avid fan of musicals since birth and Luke, who had really only enjoyed one musical ever (except for the occasional viewing of the Zac Efron classic High School Musical), had the same favorite. A beloved Jesus Christ Superstar seals the deal on this one. This is when Abby knew she really liked him, and they ended the night with a kiss.
Fast forward to January of 2014. The first “I love you.” They had just celebrated Abby’s 21st birthday together and spent Winter Break curled up in his dorm room watching Game of Thrones. But when she left for a leadership trip, they both realized how much they had missed each other.
“I knew I loved Abby for a while at that point, but we had not said it to each other. I forget who said it first but know that we both did it at the same time, and we have only grown more in love after that.”
“I came back and thought I would be the one to say it first and I agonized over doing it for like two weeks, but then he beat me to the punch! I must’ve blacked out because I don’t remember anything else about what he said when he told me he loved me, only that I started crying and knew that it felt very, very right.”
From there, their connection only continued to grow. Luke brought the world of Eagles football and Ab introduced him to one of the most prolific reality franchises of all time (The Bachelor). They enjoy true crime tv, wine, traveling, hanging with friends and family, playing with their cat child Murray, and of course debating which of Rory’s boyfriends was the best (the only real option being Team Jess). Luke is, unfortunately, a Season 1 Dean fan himself.
Luke and Abby were together six years when he proposed. His plan was to propose on their anniversary by recreating their first date at Harvest Moon. Since their first date anniversary fell on a Monday, he was going to propose the day before. But things didn’t quite go to plan.
There was a lot happening that weekend, Ab and Luke just moved into their new apartment, she just got promoted at work, and when Luke suggested to Abby that they should go out on Sunday for their anniversary, let’s just say, she definitely didn’t “understand” why. There was an Eagles game and a ton of stuff to do before work on Monday. So instead, to not make her suspicious, he suggested Saturday and she went with it. We all got texts immediately from Luke and he had to put it together fast!
“On the night of the proposal, I was a ball of nerves and must have checked my pocket for the ring a hundred times during the date. A ring box is also bigger than you would think. It was in my left pocket, so I had to position Abby on the opposite side of me the entire night, or else she might have noticed.”
After dinner Luke suggested they go for a walk around the campus. Abby obliged after some convincing (it was cold) and they walked around the Old Queens Campus (partly because he was scouting out the perfect spot).
“I had prepared some thoughts for what I wanted to say, but as I tried to blend those into conversation, I saw another couple approaching (and walking so slow while doing it). After it took them what seemed like an eternity to walk past us, I launched into what I wanted to say and got down on one knee. To say Abby was surprised would be an understatement, as I don’t think she had any idea this was going to happen (even as I was saying the first part of my speech), until she actually saw me kneeling down. She responded “Are you serious??? Are you serious??? Oh my god YES YES YES!”
“While we were walking, he started talking about how much he loved me. I realized what was happening and totally blacked out, the next thing I realized he was down on one knee! I was hysterically crying while he was waiting for an answer. It was the greatest moment of my life and a total surprise literally right up until the actual proposal! It was perfect, I wouldn’t have changed a thing.”
Now we are here days before their wedding, which came together in the most perfect way, and they are so excited to spend the day with their close friends and family in person and over livestream.
It is times like these when we need reasons to celebrate the most. With everything happening in the world today, it is so important to celebrate love. They have built a beautiful life together and I know that I speak for everyone who knows this couple, when I say that we could not be more thrilled and happy for them to start their lives together as husband and wife.
And now every time they walk around their neighborhood, they will be reminded of their wedding day and their love story.
“For the last seven years I wake up every day and know I am with my person. I felt a huge sigh of relief when we met, like my heart had been waiting for him this whole time and I didn’t even realize!”
--------------------------------------
Thank you to Courtney King, our bridesmaid, for interviewing us for our story. We are so excited for our wedding day!
“I know it sounds cheesy to say, “love at first sight,” but with us I really felt that strong connection immediately.” - Abby
Abby and Luke first met with the help of their mutual friend Meg, who was determined to set them up, after working with Luke for a little over a month. Her exact words to Abby were “I found him. I found your soulmate.” If asked, Meg would say that they were a “perfect match” and that she knew it from the very beginning.
Both of them (incredibly nervous), met in the leadership office on Douglass Campus at Rutgers University, many years ago (2013 to be exact). The same campus that Luke would continue to look for every excuse to spend extra time at, so that he could easily run into Abby, who was known for her long stints in the DCC computer lab and almost always seen outside the Dunkin Donuts.
“I remember thinking how handsome he was, he was wearing his red and white plaid shirt and khakis. He was SO TALL! When I saw him, I got totally tongue-tied, no joke! He had and has the most wonderful smile and laugh.”
“I knew immediately (from the butterflies in my stomach) that Abby was special and that I had never met anyone like her before. Everything in my life changed after meeting her and for me, there was never a “friends” moment with us, I always liked her.”
As you can see, it was clear from the first time they met, that this was something special.
After the first sighting, the ladies got together and participated in the classic ritual of stalking the potential love interest on Facebook. A few days later I found myself sitting DIRECTLY across from Luke and I immediately texted Abby with my thoughts. I remember thinking he was so short, (which now I can only explain as a gross inaccuracy on my part) and there might have been a small mention of his hairy legs, but I will not bore you with that. As I was about to leave, I stood up and he stopped and let me off the bus before him. Why is this important? Well anyone who has been on a Rutgers bus will know. That was my first encounter with Luke, and it was kind and sweet and he had my vote. Once I texted Abby that he was a perfect gentleman, she said “oh good, crisis averted.”
Our favorite matchmaker stepped in once again to create what we now call Ab and Luke’s “unofficial first date.” In true best friend fashion, Meg planned a dinner for the three of them, and it was only 5 minutes into the dinner before Meg realized she had “forgotten” about an event she had to attend and left Abby and Luke to finish the dinner alone.
“Our first planned-by-both-sides-date would happen a few weeks later but this was as lovely as any date the two of us have ever had.” - Luke
Luke had planned to ask Abby out in person at her job, but before he could get the words out, he got a call from his mom and left without asking the question. Abby to this day is still skeptical if Luke (actually) got a call from his mom, but he swears by it.
“After I worked my way through the maze that is known as the Hickman Hall, I knocked on the door of Abby’s office and we spoke for maybe a minute or two. Then, I got a call from my mom, and it threw me off my game and I awkwardly excused myself without asking her out.”
A few days later, Cabaret Theatre was having a show and knowing Abby would be there, Luke planned to attend and ask Abby out that night. Unfortunately, this did not happen either. Luke would say it was a bad case of the nerves and the size of the crowd that got the best of him. However, he was still determined and later that night, he finally asked her out via text. She said yes (of course)! Third time’s the charm!
“I made sure I wore my favorite red dress (actually texting my mom to drive it over from home) and we spoke a little before and after the show. But he never asked me out, I was so disappointed! Then he got on a bus and a minute later I got a text asking me to dinner that following week.”
Downtown, New Brunswick. Close in on Ab and Luke conversing over Ben Affleck as Batman (a debate amongst many to this day...I am a Michael Keaton fan myself), Bruce Springsteen (a necessity in all first date dialog within NJ state lines), and musicals. This, in my opinion, is the most important piece of the love story thus far. The very moment when it was absolutely clear that this was meant to be. Abby, an avid fan of musicals since birth and Luke, who had really only enjoyed one musical ever (except for the occasional viewing of the Zac Efron classic High School Musical), had the same favorite. A beloved Jesus Christ Superstar seals the deal on this one. This is when Abby knew she really liked him, and they ended the night with a kiss.
Fast forward to January of 2014. The first “I love you.” They had just celebrated Abby’s 21st birthday together and spent Winter Break curled up in his dorm room watching Game of Thrones. But when she left for a leadership trip, they both realized how much they had missed each other.
“I knew I loved Abby for a while at that point, but we had not said it to each other. I forget who said it first but know that we both did it at the same time, and we have only grown more in love after that.”
“I came back and thought I would be the one to say it first and I agonized over doing it for like two weeks, but then he beat me to the punch! I must’ve blacked out because I don’t remember anything else about what he said when he told me he loved me, only that I started crying and knew that it felt very, very right.”
From there, their connection only continued to grow. Luke brought the world of Eagles football and Ab introduced him to one of the most prolific reality franchises of all time (The Bachelor). They enjoy true crime tv, wine, traveling, hanging with friends and family, playing with their cat child Murray, and of course debating which of Rory’s boyfriends was the best (the only real option being Team Jess). Luke is, unfortunately, a Season 1 Dean fan himself.
Luke and Abby were together six years when he proposed. His plan was to propose on their anniversary by recreating their first date at Harvest Moon. Since their first date anniversary fell on a Monday, he was going to propose the day before. But things didn’t quite go to plan.
There was a lot happening that weekend, Ab and Luke just moved into their new apartment, she just got promoted at work, and when Luke suggested to Abby that they should go out on Sunday for their anniversary, let’s just say, she definitely didn’t “understand” why. There was an Eagles game and a ton of stuff to do before work on Monday. So instead, to not make her suspicious, he suggested Saturday and she went with it. We all got texts immediately from Luke and he had to put it together fast!
“On the night of the proposal, I was a ball of nerves and must have checked my pocket for the ring a hundred times during the date. A ring box is also bigger than you would think. It was in my left pocket, so I had to position Abby on the opposite side of me the entire night, or else she might have noticed.”
After dinner Luke suggested they go for a walk around the campus. Abby obliged after some convincing (it was cold) and they walked around the Old Queens Campus (partly because he was scouting out the perfect spot).
“I had prepared some thoughts for what I wanted to say, but as I tried to blend those into conversation, I saw another couple approaching (and walking so slow while doing it). After it took them what seemed like an eternity to walk past us, I launched into what I wanted to say and got down on one knee. To say Abby was surprised would be an understatement, as I don’t think she had any idea this was going to happen (even as I was saying the first part of my speech), until she actually saw me kneeling down. She responded “Are you serious??? Are you serious??? Oh my god YES YES YES!”
“While we were walking, he started talking about how much he loved me. I realized what was happening and totally blacked out, the next thing I realized he was down on one knee! I was hysterically crying while he was waiting for an answer. It was the greatest moment of my life and a total surprise literally right up until the actual proposal! It was perfect, I wouldn’t have changed a thing.”
Now we are here days before their wedding, which came together in the most perfect way, and they are so excited to spend the day with their close friends and family in person and over livestream.
It is times like these when we need reasons to celebrate the most. With everything happening in the world today, it is so important to celebrate love. They have built a beautiful life together and I know that I speak for everyone who knows this couple, when I say that we could not be more thrilled and happy for them to start their lives together as husband and wife.
And now every time they walk around their neighborhood, they will be reminded of their wedding day and their love story.
“For the last seven years I wake up every day and know I am with my person. I felt a huge sigh of relief when we met, like my heart had been waiting for him this whole time and I didn’t even realize!”
--------------------------------------
Thank you to Courtney King, our bridesmaid, for interviewing us for our story. We are so excited for our wedding day!