Matt and Rachel’s story starts well before their first date. They have Linda and Farley Frydman to thank for their meeting. Rachel’s parents, Rob and Julie Bloom, have been friends with the Frydman’s for almost 30 years as both couples raised their children in Dayton. A few years ago the Frydman’s moved to Columbus, Ohio, where they happened to move onto the same street as Matt’s parents, Patty and David Tumen. The Frydman’s and the Tumen’s became fast friends as well.


In August 2021, the Frydman’s celebrated the wedding of their son, Benji, and his wife, Jenna. This wedding took place a week before Rachel planned to move to Washington, DC, where Matt had been living for 4 years. At the Frydman wedding, the Tumen’s and the Bloom’s were assigned to the same table. As Jewish parents do, they discussed their children. Julie learned that Pattys single son lived in Washington, DC, the exact location where her single daughter was about to move to. They eagerly made plans to set their children up on a blind date. Rachel’s brother, Jeff, another guest at the wedding, rolled his eyes at how absurd the chances of this working out would be.


Fast forward two months later, Matt finally reached out to Rachel to organize a date. He took her to Hank’s Oyster Bar on the wharf, where the two instantly connected. Matt even looked past Rachel accidentally flinging her fork across the restaurant. The date continued at three more locations, with both Rachel and Matt not wanting the date to end.


They continued to see each other, even with a two-week hiatus during Thanksgiving and Matt’s Covid diagnosis. Exactly a month after their first date, the two were official. The next several months were filled with family vacations to Naples, Florida, and Park City, Utah, and their first international trip together to Iceland.


Matt and Rachel moved in together in August, 2022, getting their puppy, Vesper, a month later. A year later they planned their second international trip to Japan and South Korea. Little did Rachel know, Matt had a surprise for her during this trip. Although a typhoon spoiled his initial plans to propose on top of Mount Fuji, he ended up popping the question in Kyoto outside the Yasaka Pagoda Shrine. She said yes!