How we got here
Aperol Spritz, questionable sunburns, and a location notification that gave the game away. Here's the full story.
14 March 2024
A Hinge date at BrewDog
It started, as many great love stories do, with an app and a craft beer. Bruno and Sally met for the first time at BrewDog and, against all odds, both had a genuinely good time. A few more dates followed — the Three Colts Tavern, Victoria Park, a bottomless brunch — and somewhere between the prosecco refills, they became boyfriend and girlfriend.
Summer 2024
The staycation tour
First holiday: a grand tour of family. They went canoeing, made pasta from scratch, visited Sally's family in Devon for the first time, got on Sally's parents' boat Tinker, and made it to Adriana's 30th festival party. Low budget, high chaos, absolutely the right call.
November 2024
First holiday abroad: Tenerife
Their first trip abroad together. Bruno managed to sleep ten hours on the flight to Australia later that year after a couple of bottles of wine; Sally had an allergic reaction en route to Perth. Travelling together, it turns out, is never boring.
February 2025
Australia — the big one
Sally's brother Max lives near Busselton, Western Australia, so the whole family flew out to visit. Bruno arrived bright red after approximately fifteen minutes in the Australian sun and remained that colour for the rest of the trip. The sunburn became a running joke. Sally has never let it go.
2025
Sally gets Bruno running (against his will)
Bruno was sporty — rugby, yes — but parkruns for fun? Absolutely not. Sally had other ideas. She got him out the door, then to the start line of the Big Half marathon 2025, which they ran together. He's still not entirely sure how it happened, but he's grateful.
2025
Touch rugby Wednesdays
Every Wednesday: touch rugby, beers, and a loss. A perfect week, repeated faithfully throughout 2025. Some things are non-negotiable.
May 2025
Corfu with the Renuccis
Sally joined Bruno's family in Corfu — a lovely villa, good weather, and the first big test of being fully absorbed into the Renucci clan. She passed.
Autumn 2025
Boys' trip to Treviso (and Venice, briefly)
Bruno, his dad, his brother, his brother's friend, and Sally headed to Treviso for the Glasgow rugby match. They did visit Venice. Mostly, though, they drank Aperol Spritz. An honourable trip.
October 2025
Moving in together
Bruno moved out of Bethnal Green, Sally out of Stratford, and together they moved into Sally's newly bought flat in Rotherhithe — overlooking the river. On their very first night, they received a noise complaint. For playing games. They consider this a strong start.
January 2026
First ski trip: Chamonix
Bruno's family went to Chamonix. Sally wasn't sure she was a great skier. Bruno helped her remember that she was. She was.
Early 2026
Six Nations: Scotland v Italy, Rome
Torrential rain. Scotland lost. More Aperol Spritz. Honestly, a perfect day.
2026
The proposal — Bologna
Their friend Bao took Sally to dinner to find out, very casually, what she might want in a ring. Bruno's best friend Jamie — who happens to be Bao's fiancé — then went with Bruno to the jeweller (the same one Jamie had used months earlier) to design one from scratch. The plot was nearly blown when Bruno turned his location off to collect the ring, then turned it back on — and Sally's phone notified her immediately. She kept quiet.
In Bologna, they did a wine tasting on the first night, had a beautiful dinner, drank more Aperols, then went back to the Airbnb to play cards on the balcony. Bruno proposed there, both of them quite happily tipsy. Sally said yes. Many phone calls followed — including one to Max in Australia that Bruno fell asleep on, courtesy of the time difference and the Aperols.
And now we're getting married. 🥂