It was a dark and stormy Monday night on Long Island. The clans Berman and Girardin gathered together over beer, frites and buckets of mussels at a Belgian restaurant 20 minutes from East Meadow, where the Girardins live, and 20 minutes from Huntington, where the Bermans live. On Long Island, just about everything is 20 minutes away from anything else.

We traded hugs, gifts and stories. We welcomed Todd's brother Josh and his wife Sutay back from their year-and-a-half round-the-world trip.

Then Todd raised his glass of mountain-monk-crafted brew in toast, saying "Here's to bringing the families together! Lauren, whaddaya say we have a party next year to officially cement our commitment?"

Lauren nonchalantly replied, "Sure." We'd been planning it all along, so Todd's question was not a surprise to Lauren, just to everyone else.

After some confusion, some questions, and much more beer (and mussels, there were a whole lotta mussels), everyone was happy to hear that we’ll get our celebration on with an intimate party, bringing together our close family and friends.

Some might call it "gettin' hitched," while others have termed it "tyin' the knot." In the eyes of the state, it's being "married" (that's the "M-word") and having a "wedding" (the "W-word").

We're saying we're engaged to celebrate our commitment, because we prefer to reinvent this particular wheel.

There you have it. About freakin' time.