It's Happening! RSVP is now closed, please reach out to Renee or Chris with questions.

Our love story is not one that many would want as we met through very difficult circumstances. But it is completely ours and we cherish every moment. We both attended Route 91 Country Music Festival in October 2017. Each of us there separately and not knowing of one another at the time, we endured tragedy beyond words. 6 months later, we were attending a Route 91 meet up happy hour (thanks Kelly Hubbard!) Shawnea was there with Renee and Chris was there with Gio & Mikey. We exchanged phone numbers and stayed in touch afterwards, creating a friendship that we both loved so much. We laughed with each other (which we hadn't done in a long time) and there was an ease about everything when it came to each other. Over the next few months, our friendship blossomed into something more. Though we both tried to deny it for awhile, knowing where we were coming from, we eventually caved and gave in to love. Chris was getting ready to move to Tennessee with Gio. He had made the decision to move there for a year just before meeting Renee. Renee was encouraging and knew this was something he needed to do to continue healing through this journey. So, we endured a long distance relationship that year, though Chris was back and visiting more often than not! He had something pretty special he couldn't deny...but he also enjoyed his time in TN, before moving back to SoCal. When he got back, we moved into a new apartment together to kickstart this life. If there's one thing we know about our love story, it's that love wins above all else.

After Chris moved back from TN, it was time for us to start our life together. A baby and marriage were on the to do list, in no particular order! Chris was strictly in charge of the marriage piece, so Renee waited patiently and in the meantime, they worked on baby making...having no fun at all along the way! In September, just after returning from a friends wedding in Texas, we found out we were pregnant, we were going from 2 to 3! Over the next 9 months, we found out we were having a girl, we bothed swiped right matching us with a name (yes there’s an app for that), decorated a nursery and enjoyed pregnancy life to the fullest...well until about month 8, then we were just ready for baby girl! On May 19, 2020 we welcomed precious Adalyn Renee Willemse to the world. She has been the light of our lives, while we navigate parenthood together. We are so excited to have our almost 2 year old Adalyn walk down the aisle and celebrate our marriage!

Chris bought a ring in the fall of 2019 and was waiting until the right moment to propose (before the year ended!) and then it came to him. We were attending a live multi-media play of the movie Love Actually for the second year in a row. Renee had thought he'd decide to do the proposal in a more private way (we were attending with a group of friends) so she was completely clueless that Chris had the ring in his pocket that night. After the show, we stopped off at a photo op area for some pictures. Renee handed her phone to Shanle and said "will you take a picture for us" (you're welcome for setting it up so perfectly Chris!) and as she set her stuff down on the table, Chris turned to Shanle and said "get ready, watch this" and got down on one knee. Renee turned around and was so shocked! She knew this was coming, so the hysterical crying and shaking was unexpected....Chris asked "Renee Kathleen Frangella, will you marry me" and she was speechless so he prompted her and said "you have to answer!" Eventually, she said "yes" and then stared at her amazing fiance and gorgeous ring in disbelief at how blessed her life is.