This is the story of US. It began when Rachel started working with Stephen’s sister-in-law (Janine). As the two became familiar with each other, Janine mentioned that she had a very nice brother-in-law who was also single. In the fall of 2022, Janine attempted to introduce the two for the first time however the initial meeting never materialized.

As time passed, the thought of being set up left the mind of Rachel and Stephen. However, it did not leave Janine’s. In the spring of the following year, as Janine was planning her own engagement party, she rekindled the idea of the two meeting.

Prior to the party, Stephen offered to meet Janine at the venue to assist with any preparations. What he did not know was that Rachel would also be there 😉. As Stephen approached the venue that day, he noticed someone else was also accompanying Janine. Before he was able to hear her name, he quickly introduced himself and couldn’t help but think, is this the girl?

It became clear to Stephen that this was in fact the Rachel he had heard so much about. As the setup continued, the two chatted away, quickly hitting it off. With the layout looking great, Janine had to run out however Stephen volunteered to stay behind with Rachel while she worked on floral arrangements. They found themselves talking at length and feeling very at ease with each other.

Once all the preparations were complete that day, Janine invited Stephen and Rachel out to dinner with her family. Rachel, always one to be on the shy side, attempted to decline the invitation however Stephen was not to be denied. After a good pep talk, he convinced her to join. This would be their first dinner together (April 21, 2023) at La Anima in South Philadelphia. They sat next to each other sharing some pizza and pasta. Stephens lively personality shined through as he had the whole table laughing. They both drove home with a very special feeling and were excited to see one another the following night at the party.

As the engagement party got under way, the two became more acquainted with each other and had a great time talking more. As luck would have it, there was a photographer there. They were able to capture this moment (pictured above) of Rachel and Stephen sitting together enjoying each other’s company.

In the ensuing weeks, Stephen asked Rachel if she would be willing to go out with him. He didn’t call it a date, but in his mind, this was certainly a date, their first date. Stephen recalled from the first time they met, how much Rachel loved flowers and being outdoors. The location would be the Morris Arboretum.

It was on this date that Stephen communicated to Rachel just how special he thought she was and that he would do his best to win her over. Months later, at the very same location where Stephen said those words, he asked Rachel to marry him. The two shared an incredibly intimate moment at the exact spot where that initial conversation had first taken place. They celebrated afterwards with their immediate family at La Anima bringing the entire affair full circle.

As the wedding planning began, there was only one place that made sense as a venue. The site of their first date, engagement, and now wedding!