The Afables

On a lit night out in ESSJ. I was out with the amigos at our homegirl’s birthday party mingling and catching up. I start to get hungry, so I head inside with one of my homies to find some grub. We got into the Filipino food that was provided and started to go crazy on it. Before I shoveled another spoonful of dinuguan in my mouth, in came this fair skinned long haired Latina. She was wearing this dress that was more orange than La Vics sauce and it was stunning. In the matter of minutes, she breezed through, leaving me speechless. Weeks later, at East Valley Family YMCA, fate brought us face-to-face again. My fellow Gainz Brother and now Best Man introduced us (with a completely different name), sparking a connection that's been heating up ever since.

While walking to the break room during my lunch on a hot summer camp day, I stepped forward to open the double doors and saw an unfamiliar face with an old friend. I was so mesmerized by this stranger, that I didn’t even realize my friend had introduced me by the wrong name. Throughout the summer, I found myself creating reasons to stroll past the front desk just to catch a glimpse of East Valley Family YMCA’s very own Gainz Brother. Weeks passed and my fascination only deepened. I thought to myself “I can’t let another weekend pass without speaking to him” so on that very Friday, I summoned the courage to approach him. I rehearsed my lines, imagined the perfect moment and went for it… only to experience the most awkward conversation of my life. I left work that day dreading returning on Monday. But as fate would have it, summer drew to a close and Randolph & I became coworkers. Bonding over Dave & Buster’s half-price Wednesdays, we discovered a connection that grew stronger by the day & by the fall of 2015, it wasn’t just the leaves falling.

After an awkward summer encounter, Randolph & Cristal's journey continued in the fall of 2015. They spent their shifts getting to know each other, and soon after, Randolph asked Cristal on their first date. He blindfolded her, drove her to the municipal rose garden, and surprised her with In-N-Out. Later, they watched 'The Notebook' (a $10 rental Randolph still brings up). They ended the evening dancing to “I’ll Be Seeing You” in the middle of the road. On March 20, 2016, the first day of spring, Randolph asked Cristal to be his girlfriend at the same place where they had their first conversation, marking the beginning of their blossoming love. Since then, they've spent the last 8 years creating their own traditions, including annual birthday and anniversary trips (check out their gallery for some favorites). They've lived in 4 different cities, from a memorable summer in LA to their graduations from Sac State and UC Davis, and calling Austin home for a few months. They cherish their monthly date nights and, of course, countless gym sessions together. From meeting in the summer to making it official in the spring, Randolph & Cristal have built a beautiful journey together, nurturing an ever-blossoming love. Now, they invite you to share in their most anticipated season - their summer wedding - as The Afables.