Elijah and Madi first crossed paths on July 20, 2024 when the Mandolados were visiting from California. Their meeting, however, was no accident. The family had been planning to bring them together during a party hosted by the Gilberts on July 20th. Madi’s family had been hyping up Elijah, saying he was someone she had to meet. They spent a lot of time explaining why they thought they would be a perfect match. Elijah, on the other hand, was kept in the dark about the whole thing. Madi’s cousin had only mentioned a few details—Madi was half Filipino, single, and cute.


The day of the party arrived, and Elijah showed up thinking he would be playing cornhole and spending time with friends. But as soon as he walked in, people immediately told him he had to meet Madi. The nerves started to build, so he stepped outside to find his friends. Meanwhile, Madi also got nervous when she saw Elijah and decided to retreat to the basement. An hour passed before the two finally had their first encounter. Elijah was heading over to play cornhole when Madi’s mom stopped him for an introduction, but it happened at an awkward moment—Madi was busy holding a baby. Elijah acted on his intrusive thought and shook the baby’s hand instead. The smiles the two shared spoke louder than words. Unfortunately, their conversation was interrupted when Elijah was called to play cornhole. Still, both of them were left intrigued and curious to learn more.


As the party wound down, Elijah felt the urge to spend more time with Madi and suggested heading out to the bars to keep the night going. Madi, already determined to go regardless of what anyone else did, agreed. They made their way to Buck Murphy’s, where they finally had the chance to get to know each other better. The night must have gone well, as the two ended up spending four out of the next five days together. By the final night, Madi even pushed back her flight from Friday to Sunday so she could spend more time with Elijah. The two began a long distance relationship highlighted by the engagement on January 10, 2025 in Monterey, CA. What started as an innocent summer party turned into a loving relationship that will be sealed by marriage on October 17, 2025. 


The story of how they met is truly a match made in heaven. God tested their patience in countless ways, yet perfectly prepared Elijah and Madi to cross paths at the right time and place.