"NEVER DATE YOUR COWORKER," is a piece of advice often given, and usually for good reason. More often than not, it ends up unfavorably. However for us, it has ended up with rings and the ultimate promise.

We met in May of 2021, working at Bath and Body Works in Springfield. Derien had just moved back with her parents for the summer in between nursing school semesters and Riley had just embarked on the adventure that is the retail industry. Bath and Body Works is a bustling environment that thrives on conversation and wit, which fits Derien to a tee. Riley? Not always the most talkative. Anyone who knows Derien, knows that she has a way of making you feel like her best friend, even if you are just a customer coming in to grab some hand soaps on sale. Everyone that walked through the big mall gate was greeted by Derien's charming smile and confident voice. She encaptured people with ease and made Riley feel no different. Back then, Riley was shy towards her new coworkers, assessing every situation before engaging. She had already gotten close with a coworker who, later, would be her best friend, but nothing much in the friendship aspect past that. Seeing that Riley was struggling with being conversational enough for the selling team, Derien took Riley under her wing but in spending time together on the floor, she realized that Riley was not as shy as she had originally thought.

Wedding Day

Rehearsal Dinner