Kids & Family

East Meadow Love Stories: Lisa Filippelli and Michael Johnson

Find out what makes this engaged couple's relationship work.

Editor's Note: The following was submitted by East Meadow resident Lisa Filippelli.

If you would have asked me four years ago, when I meet my fiance' Mike, if we would be dating, yet alone engaged, I would have said you are joking.

We met at Nassau Community College four years ago. He stopped going and then came back two years ago and we started talking online, giving each other relationship advice and slowly he realized wait we are looking for the same thing.

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I said no the first time, but he didn't give up we started dating and it was the best thing ever. We took it slow, but then on our seven-month anniversary on April Fool's Day, we went for a walk before I went to bowling and he asked me to marry him.

I said you're joking right and he pulled out the box with a heart ring like I always wanted, and we have been engaged a year now and are saving money for our wedding. There's no date yet but we want to have a beach wedding and get married at my church.

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Patch wanted to get the inside scoop on the relationship between Lisa Filippelli and Michael Johnson, so we asked them a series of questions.

Patch: Tell me about the key element that makes your relationship work.

Lisa and Mike: We are both really understanding and easygoing.

Patch: What made you decide you wanted to stay with your fiance' for the rest of your life?

Lisa: He makes me smile no matter what. He just gets me.

Mike: No one no understands me like she does. She always knows just what to say.

Patch: What was the proposal like? Tell me about the sea of emotions going through your mind.

Mike: Before I asked her, I was nervous, and then I was the happiest guy in the world and had a permanent smile.

Lisa: I thought it was a joke because it was April 1, and then I saw the ring and remembered it was our 7-month anniversary and was overwhelmed with joy! I was so happy I was shaking.

Patch: What kind of wedding do you see for the two of you? Would it be big and extravagant or small and refined? Why?

Lisa and Mike: Small and refined because we have a small family and just want to keep it simple.

Patch: When did you know that this relationship was special?

Lisa and Mike: We were apart for a month. He moved to North Carolina to get a job and save money. He was there for a month, and we went crazy and he moved back sooner then he was going to. He was supposed to be down there longer then a month.

Patch: Has East Meadow played a role in your relationship?

Lisa: Yes, I grew up here and will always love East Meadow. We spend a lot of time at the Alley, which is where we spent a lot of time getting to know each other.

Mike: The bowling ally is where we spent a lot of time getting to know each other.

Patch: Do you plan to stay in East Meadow after being married? Why or why not?

Lisa and Mike: It's our home. We both love this town and we would love to be able to buy a house one day and start our family here.

Patch: Do you think East Meadow would be an ideal place to raise a family for the two of you? Why or why not?

Lisa and Mike: Yes, it's a nice neighborhood everyone is friendly and it has good schools.

Patch: Weddings are really expensive. How do you plan on moving forward and affording such an extreme financial undertaking?

Lisa and Mike: We both work. We are starting to save from each check and my mom (Lisa's) is helping as well, which also why we don't have a date yet.

Patch: Finish this sentence. I love my fiance' because...

Lisa: He knows how to make me smile no matter what, and he is one of a kind. I will love him until the end of time.

Mike: She makes me feel special and no one understands me like she does. She is my world.

Do you want to be spotlighted on Patch with your fiance'? Email Editor Michael Ganci at Michael.Ganci@patch.com for more information.


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