Their love story begins a few years ago on New Year's Eve. “I planned this day to give him the best things in Salem,” says Ali, recalling sharing macaroons to having their fortunes read. “The big activity was going to the Peabody Essex Museum.” They stepped into Charles Sandison: Figurehead 2.0 and were the only visitors to lie on the floor to experience the immersive projections. “It was definitely the greatest first date ever,” Mike says. “I knew this is how I’m proposing to her.”

The two returned to the museum one year later on New Year's Eve in 2020. Mike says now it was a nerve-wracking day. Pale faced and unusually quiet, he clutched a bag tightly in his hand the whole afternoon, one with a diamond ring inside.

After painstakingly stopping in every gallery and peeking at most every wall label, Mike says he finally managed to usher away his niece and nephew who had tagged along for the day. The couple made their way back inside their favorite exhibition and then … “When I turned around, Mike was getting on his knee,” Ali says, adding how she blacked out, but was later told she did in fact say “yes.” A PEM guard later approached and gave the couple a keepsake digital recording of their sweet proposal. The security cameras capture the happy moments too. “Everyone wanted to stay and see something good come out of 2020,” adds Mike.

When it was time to plan the wedding venue, there was no hesitation. “We both knew PEM makes sense,” says Mike. A pandemic would not deter them. He confidently told his fiancé: “I fully plan to marry you at the museum. If we’re standing outside by the anchor. That’s fine, too. That’s all we really need.”

In less than two weeks, the couple — vaccinated and beyond ready to celebrate — will stand side by side in East India Marine Hall to recite their vows, make a toast in the new wing near N.C. Wyeth’s stories-high mural (one of Mike’s favorites) and share their first dance as husband and wife. “Each time we share our story, I say, ‘Are we really that fairytale-like? That charmed?,’” Ali says. “I’m excited to start my life with Mike, but I feel like he’s always been part of my life.”

For other couples, Covid altered how they intended to spend their special day. Engaged in 2018, Josh Stiling and Lauren Perry planned for a 2020 wedding, but with all the uncertainty pushed it out one year.

But Josh and Lauren were always sure of their venue. The two studied architecture at Roger Williams University and knew of Moshe Safdie, the architect behind PEM’s 2003 expansion, and were fans of Ennead Architects, who most recently designed the 40,000-square-foot new wing. “From an architectural standpoint we had an attraction to the museum,” says Lauren. Pointing out PEM’s neutral tones and design, Josh added how there’s something about the space that allows the objects within it to be the focal point. “To me, it allows the activity that’s inside to take the focus of the day,” he says.

On an incredibly hot, but beautiful, day last August, Lauren and Josh met in the intimate garden off PEM’s new wing to share in a private moment before joining their guests. “Since we’ve been dating, we’ve had a history of writing each other notes,” Lauren shares. The two decided to write down their vows and exchange them in the serene, blooming space.