The Bowery

Wedding Day

Ceremony

Cocktail Hour

Dinner

Dancing!

Our Wedding

Chase and Olivia’s story began long before they ever expected it would become a love story.They first met as middle schoolers at University Lake School — Chase in eighth grade, Olivia in seventh. Olivia had just transferred in, and it didn’t take long for her to notice the blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy with the sweet smile. While others may have tried to win Olivia’s attention, she only had eyes for Chase.Her middle school crush turned into a full-blown obsession. Olivia would play love matchmaker games, writing out versions of their names – “Olivia &amp; Chase,” “Liv &amp; Chase,” “Olivia Mercado &amp; Chase Kessler” – and none gave the result she wanted. Finally, she tested “Olivia James Mercado &amp; Chase Jack Kessler…” and it came back as a 99% match. Fate, she decided. But Chase? He was oblivious. With a different crush on his radar and plans to transfer schools the next year, eighth-grade Chase wasn’t quite feeling the spark. Olivia’s sister Vanessa and Chase’s sister Maddie, who were best friends, even tried to play Cupid on Olivia’s behalf, with no luck. Eventually, Chase moved schools, and Olivia had to accept that this romance was not meant to be. Life carried on but Olivia remained close with Maddie. The two became friends in their own way, playing volleyball together and having sleepovers with Vanessa, even though Chase was rarely around. Olivia even visited the Kessler house a few times, but there was no reunion in sight — yet.Everything shifted the summer before Olivia’s senior year of high school when Maddie brought Chase to hang out with Olivia, Vanessa, and their friends.The second Olivia heard Chase was coming, her old feelings came rushing back.That night, conversation between Chase and Olivia started off a bit awkward, but eventually they broke away from the party and began talking — really talking. There was something immediate and comforting in that moment, and before they knew it they shared a kiss.The very next day, Chase and Maddie had to leave for their family’s annual road trip. Despite the timing, Chase and Olivia kept in touch — texting constantly, FaceTiming a few times, and building something quietly hopeful from afar. Olivia’s heart skipped a beat every time she saw “Chase Kessler” pop up on her phone. And slowly, Chase started feeling something he hadn’t before — a pull toward Olivia that he couldn’t ignore.Chase and Olivia shared a few memorable evenings watching Game of Thrones with Maddie and Vanessa, and even spent a fun night playing Farkle with Chase’s dad, Scott, and stepmom, Kris. Olivia felt an instant connection with his parents, even though nothing official was happening between her and Chase at the time. As time continued, Olivia and Chase got caught up in their own lives and communication started to dwindle. Every now and then, their moms, Robin and Cheri, would bump into each other at the dog park and chat about the two of them spending time together.A year later, Olivia headed off to college in Arizona, while Chase continued to grow in his plumbing apprenticeship. By the time the summer after Olivia’s freshman year rolled around, nearly two years had passed since she and Chase had last seen each other.The girls and some friends went out on the lake for Vanessa’s birthday, living their best boat day lives, when Maddie casually mentioned Chase was also out on the water. A few minutes later, their boats tied up, and Maddie pulled the classic move: “Chase, come sit right here”— right next to Olivia. They talked for a while, catching up, laughing, and feeling that old connection come flooding back. But this time, it wasn’t just Olivia who felt it. Chase did too.Later that night, Olivia got a text from Chase: “It was great seeing you! Let’s hang out again soon. :)” Olivia instantly started screaming, hugging her mom, and happy dancing around the kitchen. She had no idea that Chase had been thinking about her for a while — and that now, the timing was right.Two days later, they went on their official first date — boating and dinner at Foolery’s (where Chase forgot his wallet and Olivia picked up the tab — true love). From there, they were together a lot more, hanging out, watching movies, just enjoying each other’s company. Chase found himself wanting to see Olivia more and more — the girl who used to be just a part of his past was quickly becoming the best part of his present. On July 2nd, 2022, Chase asked Olivia to be his girlfriend. She was so stunned she made him ask again the next day — just to be sure she hadn’t dreamed it. But she hadn’t, and from that moment on, their love only deepened.They’ve been building a life full of travel, camping, lake days, late-night TV binges (currently Lost), and lots of laughter. Finally, on March 9th, 2025, while on Chase’s family vacation in Mexico, Chase completely surprised Olivia with such a special proposal. (Yes, the photos say it all — total shock and happy tears.)After all this time — from a middle school crush to a kiss that changed everything — Chase and Olivia’s story finally became what it was always meant to be: a love story neither of them saw coming, but one they now realize was meant to last forever.

Our Story

Photos

Vanessa Groth

Griffin Braun

Hannah Mercado

Dean Loppnow

Maddie Kessler

Aidan Steger

Chloe Buddle

Evan Metcalf

Wedding Party

Q + A

We are not reserving a hotel block, however this is only 12 minutes from the venue! There are other options to choose from for hotels in the area if you are an out-of-towner! :)

Cobblestone Hotel & Suites - Hartford

Travel

Things to Do

Registry

Olivia & Chase

Olivia & Chase

O&C

Wedding Day

3:30 PM–4:00 PM

Ceremony

4:00 PM–5:30 PM

Cocktail Hour

6:00 PM–8:00 PM

Dinner

8:00 PM–11:30 PM

Dancing!