Clear Cut Couples: Julia and Aidan
Aidan and Julia grew up in New Jersey and met back in 2016 — she was a junior in high school at an all-girls school, and he was a senior at an all-boys school. Every few months, their schools offered a joint community service trip into New York, and one fateful night in January, they both ended up at the same one! Aidan was the first guy to arrive, and Julia turned to her friend Paige and said, “I’m going to become best friends with that guy.” And well, that ended up being a bit of an understatement! They got to chatting, and after she snorted hot chocolate out of her nose at one of his jokes, Julia was pretty sure that she was done for.
Turns out, she didn’t end up scaring him too badly, because he ended up friending her on Facebook after the trip and slid into her DMs. And the rest is history! There was actually a major blizzard that night, so the trip probably should have been canceled… but they’re both obviously glad it wasn’t!
Julia said, “I wouldn't call myself the most patient person in the world, so after a few weeks of chatting, I got tired of waiting for Aidan to ask me out and told him he should take me to see a movie! Although dinner and a movie is a major first date cliche, it ended up being very reflective of us.” Aidan is a huge movie buff and has converted her into being a movie lover, so movie dates are a staple in their relationship!
They have been together for over 8 and a half years, including 4 years of long distance while they were in college! Julia went to school in Philly, and he went to Berkeley. They both racked up a lot of frequent flier miles during those years, but luckily Aidan always planned to move back to their favorite coast. They moved into their first New York apartment in 2021 and can't imagine ever leaving the city! Anyone who knows them, knows that adopting their adorable pup, Penny, is one of the most special moments of their relationship. They got Penny right before they moved to New York, and being puppy parents has been so much fun for them. She's the absolute sweetest girl and they are insanely obsessed with her. When they’re not hanging out with Penny, you'll likely find them traveling or thinking about traveling. They’ve hiked a glacier in New Zealand, made pasta in Milan, explored the rice terraces in Bali, snorkeled in the Galapagos Islands, and so much more in between. So many of their favorite moments are from their trips together, and they’re always on the lookout for their next adventure!
Aidan proposed on July 29th, 2024 in Lake Como, Italy. It was the second-to-last day of a whirlwind month-long family trip through Europe. They first visited Lake Como a few years ago and absolutely fell in love with it, so they planned a boat day around the lake so that her family could see it in all its glory. They had the most incredible day boating around the lake, soaking up the sun, and screaming Taylor Swift on the boat with champagne in hand. As the tour was coming to an end, their boat made a surprise stop at Villa Balbiano - her favorite villa on the entire lake! She has been obsessed with it for years (since seeing it in the movie House of Gucci) and had actually always dreamed of getting married there. As they docked, she took one look at Aidan and burst into tears. He led her off the boat and popped the question on the iconic lawn of the villa, with Lake Como in the background. Boaters were cheering for them as they passed by, and after she said "YES!", her family came running out from behind the bushes (where they were not so secretly watching the whole thing). They were both overwhelmed with so much emotion and spent the next 15 minutes crying and freaking out. She cannot have imagined a more perfect day and still feels like it was all a dream, and she doesn’t know if she will ever come down from cloud nine!
She said, “In terms of the ring, it's absolutely stunning and more beautiful than I ever thought it could be! Aidan and I went ring shopping together, but I left the final details in his hands. He added some amazing personal touches to make the ring ours, including a sapphire inside the band as an homage to my grandmother's sapphire and diamond engagement ring, which I've always loved. Thank you to the amazing team at The Clear Cut for creating such a beautiful piece for us!"
As for their wedding, nothing is set in stone at the moment, but they’re currently planning to get married in France in September 2026! They’re so excited to celebrate with their closest friends and family after what will be over 10 years together. They have lots of time to plan, so in the meantime, they’re going to soak up the love and enjoy being engaged!
Photos by: @bottega53