Lilian and Mitchell met at Travis Air Force Base in California. From the very first day, they noticed each other—though with very different assumptions. Mitchell immediately thought Lilian was beautiful, but also assumed she was a lesbian, mostly because of the career field they worked in. POL didn’t exactly have a reputation for being full of straight women. Lilian, on the other hand, thought Mitchell was very cute, but made it clear to herself that coworkers were strictly off-limits.

Despite that rule, their first date soon followed. It was a metal concert, attended with one of the groomsmen, Noah Lentz, and a few others. Mitch loved metal music—especially the band Wage War. Lilian did not. As the music thundered around them, Mitch stayed close, playing defense and making sure she felt safe in the chaos. Overwhelmed by the noise and crowd, Lilian couldn’t help but wonder why she had agreed to a metal concert for a first date. Still, as everyone now knows, it didn’t end there.

Their second date couldn’t have been more different. They watched The Super Mario Bros. Movie, laughing and having a great time together. After the movie, they enjoyed a nice, quiet dinner at Outback Steakhouse—a much better setting for conversation, laughter, and getting to know each other without earplugs.

Registry