we're getting married (again)!

Jubail and Coleen met while attending graduate school at the University of Denver both working towards their masters degrees. After a few run ins their first year in class, at parties, and the infamous Korbel Prom, they ended up taking work study jobs in the same office on campus. This led to Jubail asking Coleen to get lunch together one Friday (Jubail insists it was just to be friendly) then asking for her phone number and inviting her to a craft-beer and rugby event (very Denver) the next day. They went with friends but later that night Jubail asked Coleen on a real date. Their first date was at Dave and Busters playing arcade games and drinking not-so craft beer. Jubail still remembers that Coleen ordered mini sliders and while eating them gleefully said "I love mini burgers, they make me feel like a giant". They have been together ever since.

Coleen and Jubail were on a vacation in Southeast Asia in early November staying at a beautiful island resort. The resort was on small cliff overlooking the sandy beach, swaying palm trees, and blue green water. It was pretty much perfect. After a night of exploring the small town nearby and getting drinks and pizza with a group of French tourists, Coleen and Jubail headed back to the resort across the beach and up the small cliff staircase. At the top of the bluff Jubail pulled Coleen over to the edge to look out across the water and the twinkle lights strung between palms, giving her a big hug. He pulled away then asked "how tipsy are you?" to which Coleen answered with a big smile, "medium". That was just tipsy enough and Jubail told her how much he loved her, they were going to make the world a better place together, got down on one knee and proposed. Coleen said yes of course and they sat watching the waves and waiting till it was morning back home so they could call their families.

When we originally planned our wedding for June 13, 2020 we were thinking about spring sunshine, trees in flower, and laughing with friends and family in the warm night air. A global pandemic was not really part of the picture. After postponing our date, living side by side in isolation for weeks on end, and discovering our relationship could survive pretty much anything, we decided to get married in a small ceremony in our backyard. So on June 13, 2020 we gathered with a few friends in masks, neighbors 6ft away along the fence, and Athena our dog to be married underneath the beautiful crepe myrtle at our house in Alexandria, VA. We celebrated with mimosas, pastries, and still got to laugh with friends and family (though some were on Zoom). Later we ordered takeout burgers and ate them picnic-style on the floor in the living room, then turned on the twinkle lights and danced to Neil Young's 'Harvest Moon' on the patio as the sun went down. It was just us, and it was perfect.