Time to Celebrate

An unlikely duo, Hannah and Mark knew each other for 10+ years before the spark hit. Hannah Kerne, the college best friend of brother Matt Bukhshtaber’s wife Anna Bukhshtaber, spent her 20s living in China and Washington, DC pursuing her passion for public policy. After unexpectedly moving back to St. Louis, Hannah spotted Mark looking STUDLY at Matt’s birthday party in Soulard. After dancing the night away, Mark–committed to getting the woman of his dreams–would spend the next year trying to get Hannah to go out on a date with him. On Sep. 11, 2021, Hannah said YES to a night of tacos and margs with Mark. They would spend the next few months getting to know one another, Hannah falling for Mark’s incredible smile, kindness, playful spirit (and wild side), and emotional inteligence, while Mark was smitten with Hannah’s seemingly boundless passion for life, independence, discipline, and their shared love for adventure. In July 2021, Mark introduced Hannah to his love for live music, and it was from this shared appreciation of palpable presence, dancing, and community celebration that they knew they wanted to be together forever. For anyone that knows Hannah & Mark, they know that they have both radically transformed one another’s spirits – a true manifestation of two people making one another stronger and encouraging one another’s evolution for the better. Just two years after their love story began, Mark planned an epic proposal to ask for her hand in marriage on a Colarado mountaintop, her favorite place in the world. An adventure-filled day, they picked up Hannah’s new Toyota FJ Cruiser, drove up to the Flat Iron Mountains, where Mark dropped down on one knee in the middle of the rain and proposed. Hannah, who had been waiting for this moment for months, broke into tears and said “YES!” To both of their surprise and delight, a rainbow filled the sky, a sign from the universe that this was destiny. Their love has only deepened since this moment. Mark continues to help Hannah lean into her free-spirited side, while Hannah continues to try to get Mark to work out with her and do cold showers at 5am (with a 25% success rate). Hannah helps Mark get motivated to clean the house, while Mark prefers to lead cleaning parties to set the vibe. Most importantly, they still dance A LOT around the house and spend an inordinate amount of time snuggling their pups Ziggy and Satchmo every day. To be continued…..