Winners of Ocean State Love Story Contest Announced

In December we put a call out to all Rhode Island lovebirds to share their personal love stories for our first-ever Ocean State Love Story Contest. Entrants vied for the opportunity to be featured in this issue, and win a pair of Teal Hydrafacials from the Center for Medical Aesthetics (a $500 value), plus other prizes. We are happy to announce that our team of judges selected Maya Byrne and Weston de Lomba of Providence for their statewide tale and commitment to each other and Little Rhody. Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make this contest a success!

Maya Byrne and her fiancé, Weston de Lomba share a love story rooted in their Rhode Island heritage. Byrne, a Newport native, and de Lomba, from Cranston, first connected in October 2018 while working as medical scribes at Rhode Island Hospital’s Emergency Department. Starting as friends, their romantic journey officially began in 2020.

One evening, de Lomba planned to bring oysters to Byrne’s apartment. Opting for a picturesque setting instead, they brought the oysters to India Point Park, where de Lomba expertly shucked them. During the conversation, Byrne jokingly asked, “Are you going to kiss me now?” To their joy, a perfectly timed firework illuminated the park as they shared a first smooch, marking a magical moment that sealed the fate of their relationship.

Following this, Byrne pursued an accelerated nursing program, and de Lomba set out on the path to medical school. By 2022, she became an RN at Newport Hospital, while he earned acceptance to Brown for medical school. The couple embarked on their next chapter, settling into a cozy one-bedroom apartment on the East Side of Providence and getting a cat.

Their love story reached new heights in July during an enchanting vacation in Japan, where de Lomba surprised Byrne with a proposal. The unexpected gesture, coupled with the fact that he’d brought the engagement ring across the globe, left her in awe.

Currently, the happy couple is eagerly planning their wedding at a private venue in Jamestown, set for August 2025. With no intentions of leaving Rhode Island, except for occasional vacations, the couple is thrilled about the future.