This Bride:

Kristen Mary grew up in Rumford, a small mill-town tucked in the Western Maine Mountains. Her dad, Lee, has worked at the local paper as an electrical technician since 1981, while her mom, Jayne, is a trained beautician and current kindergarten teacher at a local elementary school. Kristen is the youngest of three girls. Always the tomboy of the family, she enjoyed playing sports and being outdoors. Kristen grew up with a basketball in her hand, and fell in love with the sport after watching her two older sisters, Jessica and Jennifer, play. Since basketball was an early passion of Kristen's, it occupied her and her family's weekends from fourth grade on. Kristen became a varsity athlete as a freshman in high school, playing soccer, basketball, and softball. Kristen committed to playing college basketball at the University of Southern Maine, but her career ended early after shin surgery. Kristen's fondest memories growing up include camping every summer at Cathedral Pines with her family, playing basketball at Penn State, canoeing the Allagash waterway with her dad, Marriott Hotel road trips with her sisters and Gram and Grampy Kelcourse, and having Sunday night dinners while playing school Nanny and Grampy Arsenault. Kristen still leads an active and outdoorsy lifestyle; hiking, hunting, and participating in running races any chance she gets. She loves spending her free time with her family in the mountains, and playing with her four nieces; Lilah, Lauren, Hallie and Kylie. Kristen is a National Sales Trainer employed by W.W. Grainger.

The Groom:

Robert John was born in Springfield, MA, and grew up in Suffield, CT until the age of six, when his family relocated to Franklin, MA, a town within the Greater Boston region. Known to his family and friends as Rob, he is the eldest of three children born to John and Sue-Ellen Richard. Rob has a younger sister named Olivia, and younger brother named William.His father, John, spent years in the U.S. Air Force before entering into the financial world where he worked for decades. Rob's mom, Sue-Ellen, worked for years in customer service at Clarks Shoes, and continues to be involved with customer service in Cape Cod, where she and John currently reside. Growing up, Rob's interests included soccer, art, skateboarding, and snowboarding. Still an avid snowboarder, Rob grew to become more involved with the snowboarding industry over the years, and today shares ownership of an apparel company with his friend Anthony. When choosing where to attend college, Rob committed to the University of Southern Maine because it was closer to the mountains in New England. Rob's fondest memories growing up include family summers spent in Cape Cod, where he worked his first summer jobs; and going to Mount Snow, VT, for family winter ski trips. Rob continues to spend his summers on the beach, and winters in the mountains. Rob is an Account Manager at Crystal Steel Processing, and small business owner of the aforementioned Oneoheight Apparel, Ltd.

How they Met:

Both business majors at the University of Southern Maine, they shared many mutual classes and friends. Their paths drew closer in the fall of 2007, when they became dorm neighbors. After some initial hesitation by Kristen (who credits Rob's persistence), they began dating, and by December of 2007, they were nothing less of inseparable. As they often say... the rest is history. Over nine years later, Rob and Kristen are so excited to continue building their relationship, and starting the next chapter of their lives together.

In March of 2016, Rob and Kristen planned a winter weekend get-a-away in Kristen's favorite Maine town of Rangeley, where Kristen's family has a camp just outside of the town's limits. Kristen and her family have always spent a lot of their time hiking, hunting, and relaxing in the Western Maine Mountains, so a night away in Rangeley was not out of the ordinary for the couple, and Kristen thought nothing of it. Rob and Kristen took their time getting up to Rangeley, stopping a few times at their usually stops - the Height of the Land, Flagstaff Lake, and their favorite store, Pines Market. The couple rented a cabin in downtown Rangeley as Kristen's camp was usually only accessible via snowmobile in the winter months due to snow. However, the winter of 2016 proved to be a mild one, causing most of the trails and dirt roads to be extremely soft, and the couple decided to attempt the drive in to the family camp for a day drip of hiking and skeet shooting. Once they got to the driveway, they realized the dirt road was far too soft to drive on, almost like quick sand. Kristen said to Rob, "Let's just go to another spot, I don't want to walk over a mile just to get into camp with all of our gear." Rob argued that it would be fun since it was such it was a beautiful winter day. Kristen eventually agreed, and the two started the trek u the driveway, and up the East Kennebago Mountain. After hours of skeet shooting, they sat outside and enjoyed the fire Rob built, their sandwiches, and a few happy hour beverages. When it got colder, Rob told Kristen to get closer to the fire so she would be warmer. As Kristen was standing near the fire, warming her hands and enjoying the mountain top view, Rob said Kristen's name, causing her to turn around and look at him. Rob was down on one knee. Kristen was completely shocked and scooched down with him, hoping he wasn't injured. Kristen didn't even see the open ring box Rob was holding in his hand. Rob spoke then, sharing all of the reasons and things he loved about Kristen, and telling her he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Kristen, with her hand over her mouth, could only respond, "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!" over and over again. She immediately hugged Rob, still shouting, "Oh my God!" Rob told Kristen he needed her to say yes or no. Of course, her answer was yes, and he placed the ring on her finger. The two stood on top of the mountain, in Kristen's favorite spot to enjoy the moment. Kristen recalls her legs feeling like jello the entire hike down. The two celebrated with dinner in Rangeley at Forks in the Air, followed by an evening bowling at Moose Alley. Rangeley was always a very special place to Kristen growing up. Now, it is a special place for both Kristen &Rob as they start the next chapter of their life together.