Rachel, an avid reader, met Andrea, an avid writer, in a storybook-for-the-digital-age connection. Andrea wrote an ongoing fan-created fiction set in the universe of one of their jointly enjoyed TV shows, which Rachel soon found online and loved.

Nearly three years later, they were put in touch by Rachel’s Person of Honor—a mutual friend—and struck up a conversation about the story that then easily flowed into conversations about life. They texted each other daily for the next 10 months, growing closer as friends, before both women acknowledged their feelings and decided to make things official in April 2021.

Since then, they’ve battled long distance across Texas and Upstate New York with a few visits between their cities before choosing Austin as their first home. It took a whole year before they were able to close the distance and share a zip code, but in that time they adopted several furry family members—in addition to Rachel’s two cats—to fill their hearts…and their apartment.

After 8 months of sharing a pet-cramped space together, Andrea filled a Fall weekend with romantic activities leading up to her water-front proposal in November of 2022. Wanting to give Andrea that same joyous experience, Rachel also dropped down to one knee...after many unfortunately failed attempts. On the fifth try, she slid a ring on Andrea's finger while sitting inside a sleigh that December at the coffee shop where they had their first date in Austin a year and some months prior.

Following the double proposals, the two then went through another big move—this time together—as they left Austin for San Antonio due to a better job opportunity for Rachel. While they expected their southern stay to last longer, that opportunity couldn't compare to Rachel's dream job back in Rochester, so they made the decision to move up north when a position at the Public Defender's office became available just six months later.

Texas, as a whole, has allowed the couple the opportunity to mesh both sides of their soon-to-be collective family through road trips to McAllen and Kansas. It's given them the majority of their large fur family, taught them how to make any city their home together, and, alternatively, that triple degree heat is not for them. Now, they're two blocks over from the place Rachel rented when their story began and it's where they'll say, "I do" to continuing to build a life, a home, and family of their own together. (Let's be real, they'll probably have a farm-size amount of pets throughout their lifetime at the very least. They already have a petting zoo!)

As they create this new family together, Rachel and Andrea have also decided to take on a new family name—something that symbolizes strength, connection, heart and home to them—and will unite as Mrs. and Mrs. Halliwell hereafter.