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Ryan McGann and Colleen Power first met in 2009 when they were both freshmen in high school and quickly became close friends. After nearly ten years together, Ryan McGann asked Colleen Power to marry him in Lavallette, New Jersey. Colleen Power and Ryan McGann will be married on June 3, 2023. The Ceremony will take place at 2:00 PM at The Catholic Church of the Holy Trinity, 506 Westfield Ave in Westfield, NJ 07090.
How did you meet?
We first met each other as freshmen in high school almost 13 years ago! We grew up a town apart and went to separate high schools, but we met through mutual friends from each of our grammar schools. We have been friends since the day we met (and are lucky to be friends with the same group from when we first met). We didn’t start dating until two years later, at the beginning of our junior year. Our friends would always go to a nearby festival at the end of each summer, and Ryan asked Colleen to be his girlfriend at the top of the Ferris wheel that year!
What are some of your early and best memories together?
Our first memories of our relationship are getting to know each other through high school. That included hanging out with friends, going to the movies, getting ice cream, or going for drives around town. Our favorite memories include going to each other’s proms (we went to four together!), long days at the Jersey shore, singing Mr. Brightside at the top of our lungs at college parties. More recently, since graduating college, we’ve enjoyed exploring New York City, whether it was going to Rangers games, trying new restaurants, or exploring Central Park. We have also made so many memories while traveling – from escaping New York winters with a trip to Florida or traveling internationally to London, Paris, Rome, Aruba, or Barcelona. At the heart of all these experiences, we love trying new things together and creating memories side-by-side.
Do you have a song? Why is it special to you both?
While we don’t have a specific song, we often listen to all sorts of country music. We have been to concerts like Zac Brown Band, Luke Bryan, and Thomas Rhett. We are also NJ natives, so of course, we are huge Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen fans. We often listen to Summer Hits on Spotify while driving from NYC to the Jersey Shore every weekend in the summer. We also both are avid runners and have run multiple marathons and have several playlists that we have built together to listen to while training.
Did you ever break up?
No, we never broke up. Been going strong for 10+ years!
Was there ever a time or times when you didn’t know if your relationship would make it?
Having been together for over ten years now and growing from teenagers into adults during that time period, we have definitely encountered bumps in the road. Most of these challenges have been during periods of big transition – starting college, graduating and heading out into the real world, and navigating work schedules – but through it all, we have been able to weather the rough periods knowing that we were a team and had each other. We always knew through these moments that we were better together than apart.
When and how did you know it was meant to be?
It’s hard to pinpoint an exact moment when we’ve been together for so long, but we would say that there were a lot of small moments along the way that built together to reinforce that it was meant to be. Whether it was Ryan surprising Colleen with flowers after a long day, slow dancing at an event together, or just something as simple as seeing each other smile for the first time after being away from each other for a day or a week. It is the small memories shared together that constantly remind each other that we are each other’s better half.
What are the challenges in your relationship?
Some of the challenges were also benefits. We have been in multiple different situations we have had to figure out, starting with going to different high schools to then choosing the same college, starting out after college living apart in NJ and NY to eventually moving in together in August 2020. We have always been able to figure out how to approach the challenge together and address the issues.
How do you work through disagreements or differences?
We are both pretty strong-willed individuals that like being right! That being said, whenever we are going through a difficult moment, we always remind each other that we are on the same team and talk through what we need to in order to get on the same page as one another. Over time we’ve learned that having patience and listening to each other is the best way to get through any sort of disagreement.
What are some of your best memories together?
The best memory isn’t so surprising – but it’s when Ryan proposed to Colleen. Our parents have an annual tradition of spending one weekend together down the Jersey Shore, and Ryan picked this weekend to propose with some surprises sprinkled in with the biggest surprise of all. Ryan proposed to Colleen on the beach they sit on together every weekend in the summer, but to get there, Ryan planted a lot of decoys for Colleen throughout the day.
The plan was to have happy hour drinks on the beach with Colleen’s parents and Ryan’s family and then head to dinner at a favorite restaurant nearby. Ryan and Colleen walked to the beach with their moms, with everyone else having gone ahead to start happy hour early, once they got to the beach, Ryan walked Colleen to the water’s edge and proposed. Ryan also coordinated Colleen’s siblings showing up as a surprise – which was so special to have both of their entire families there to celebrate the moment.
After proposing and taking pictures, hugging their families, and FaceTime with friends to share the good news — Ryan and Colleen shared a beautiful picnic on the beach with their families. They ended the night back at the house, listening to music and swimming in the pool. It was a perfect day filled with unforgettable memories.
Wishing all the best to Ryan McGann and Colleen Power as they plan their next adventure together!
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Photo provided by the author with written permission from the owner Colton Barter.
The post Ryan McGann and Colleen Power Share the Story of How They Met and Favorite Memories appeared first on The Good Men Project.