Carolyn and I met the last place either of us were suspecting (but probably one of the most common these days)- the internet. We had both had mixed experiences online and were considering taking a break from the whole online dating thing. But on July 4th, 2018, I sent Carolyn a message after we matched online. She had mentioned “sci-fi movies” as an interest, so I asked what some of her favorites were. This led to a conversation about Star Wars... the first of many. We messaged and texted for a couple weeks, and eventually I suggested a phone call; she countered with meeting in person. I was living near Charlottesville at the time, and Carolyn was in Richmond. In the end, we settled on Veritas Vineyard. After a tasting, a walk around the vineyard, lunch, and a glass of wine, we sat down at a picnic table and talked until the vineyard politely informed us they were closing for the day. The weeks and months to follow amounted to many miles on the road between Richmond and Charlottesville on the weekends, nightly phone calls on the weekdays, and, in time, a new job for me and a move to Richmond.

On November 2nd, I convinced Carolyn to get up early, bundle up, and walk out to Libby Hill Park to catch the sunrise. Carolyn took me there on our second date, and it’s been a special place for us ever since. We’d seen our share of sunsets there, and the next day was daylight savings, so it would be the latest sunrise to see for a while— at least that’s the reasoning I used. We grabbed a spot on a bench with coffee and bagels we’d brought from my apartment. Right as the sun was starting to shine, and the park was still quiet and empty, I started reflecting about our relationship, how much I loved that park, and how much taking in the view of the city from there reminded me of our first few dates and everything since. I paused there, mustering a little courage (which Carolyn took for me being finished talking and asked if it was a good time to eat the bagels). I told her to hold on a minute because first I had to ask her a question, and I got down on one knee. Needless to say, she said yes. It’s been a whirlwind of planning and talking about the future, but for both of us, June 13th can’t come soon enough. —Fred

In the spring of 2020, we began to realize that our original wedding plans would have to change due to the COVID pandemic. Although we could never imagine the scope of the pandemic, Fred and I shared the same sentiment about one thing from the beginning - if at all possible, we would still marry in June. And that's just what we did. We threw all expectations out the window and started planning for a 10 person maximum at the ceremony. Thankfully, a couple weeks prior to our wedding date, the governor expanded this number to 40 and we were able to also invite local friends and family. We wore masks, we socially distanced, and Fred and I exchanged vows and entered into the sacrament of marriage in St. Patrick's Catholic Church on the most beautiful June afternoon. Despite not being the wedding I had dreamt and planned, it was a perfect day. - Carolyn