Maple Branch Brewery

Meet & Greet

Stoney Ridge Villa

Wedding Day

Ceremony

Cocktail Hour

Reception

Outfit Inspiration

Our Wedding

It began on a crisp spring evening in Boston, 2022, the kind of night that held the promise of something unexpected. Rachel was finishing grad school, dreaming of summer and everything beyond it. Her sister, Devon, had flown in for her twenty-first birthday, and together they set out in search of celebration.-Boston’s Thursday nightlife offered few choices, so they followed instinct more than plan, wandering through the cobblestone streets until they found themselves at Bell in Hand — America’s “oldest bar,” though it might also be its stickiest.-Inside, the night was quiet, a little too bright, and perfectly imperfect. The sisters laughed anyway, determined to make their own fun. They explored the dim corners of the bar, skipping from the half-empty music room to the upstairs dance floor, where the pulse of pop music finally felt alive.-And that’s where Rachel saw him.-He entered with a small group of friends — tall, blonde, easy laughter — the kind of presence that seemed to steady the room. Their eyes met, just briefly, before Rachel turned back toward Devon with a nervous smile, pretending to sing along to the music. But fate, as it tends to do, had its own timing.-Moments later, he walked up to her.-A simple hello. A spark. And then, a conversation that felt less like small talk and more like recognition. His name was Derek. Hers, Rachel.-They discovered they were both from Plano, Texas. Two people who had grown up beneath the same wide skies and might have passed each other a hundred times without knowing it. They laughed over shared favorites: Dunkin’ cold brew, always iced and always the same order, and blueberry cake donuts, a mutual childhood obsession neither could quite explain. Each small coincidence felt like a sign, proof that the universe had been quietly stitching their paths together all along.-In that unassuming bar, something extraordinary began.-When the night ended, they went their separate ways, but the feeling lingered, a soft, certain sense that some meetings are meant to last.-Months later, they found each other again. Coffee turned into long walks, walks into laughter, and laughter into something deeper. There were evenings by the harbor, sunsets over the city, and one boat ride that began as an ordinary date and ended, years later, as a proposal on that very same dock.-Looking back, it’s easy to see it for what it was. Not coincidence, but connection. Not chance, but alignment.-From that first spark at Bell in Hand, Rachel and Derek became something whole, two souls that fit like a lock and its key, created not to oppose, but to belong.-“At first glance, the key and the lock it fits may seem very different,” Sazed once said. “Different in shape, different in function, different in design… Yet, upon closer examination, one sees that without the other, both are incomplete.”— Brandon Sanderson, The Well of Ascension-And now, years later, the spark that began on a dance floor has become the rhythm of their everyday life, with early mornings spent over cold brew, the occasional shared blueberry donut, and a love that still feels, in all the best ways, like coming home.-

The Lock and the Key

Our Story

Gallery

Devon Kiehne

Alex Stern

Kristen Nielsen

Aidan Kilpatrick

Sierra Thain

Corey Dower

Jemimah Charles

Sameer Khanbhai

Madison Humphreys

Andrew Ciallella

Briana Campbell

Liam Daly

Patra Hsu

George Samaan

Sasha Fong

Nolan Sands

Catherine (Cat) Ratana-Kelley

Calvin Settipane

Rebecca (Becca) McWherter

Brian Gadbois

Wedding Party

Q + A

All of the accommodations listed below are within a 5-minute walk of the Hilton, where transportation will be provided. It doesn’t appear to be a particularly busy weekend, and Airbnb and Vrbo are also great options.

Hilton Fort Worth

Le Méridien Fort Worth Downtown

Embassy Suites by Hilton Fort Worth Downtown

Kimpton Harper Hotel

Dallas Fort Worth International Airport

Dallas Love Field

Travel

Billy Bob's is dubbed the world's largest honky tonk. The massive country music hall is Fort Worth's premier destination for concerts, bull riding, conventions, and more.

Billy Bob's Texas

Featuring 17 gardens and collections, including a rose garden and a Japanese Garden, which was recently named the most peaceful place in Texas—and the seventh most peaceful place in the US.

Fort Worth Botanic Garden

Cattle Drives held day at&nbsp;11:30am and 4pm. A cool spot to check out if you want some TX flare.

Fort Worth Stockyards

Old Gringo, located in the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District, is a must-visit for ultra-unique cowboy boots. While the brand sells boots of all heights, sizes, and colors, it's particularly well-known for its bright, bold creations.

Old Gringo Boot Store

If you prefer more classic cowboy boot silhouettes, make your way over to Tecovas, located just South of the Stockyards. The brand specializes in high-quality Western boots and wear—and serves cold beverages while you shop.

Tecovas

Things to Do

Registry

Rachel & Derek

Rachel & Derek

R&D

Meet & Greet

Wedding Day

4:00 PM–4:30 PM

Ceremony

4:30 PM–5:30 PM

Cocktail Hour

5:30 PM–10:00 PM

Reception

Outfit Inspiration

Meet & Greet

Wedding Day