"Who God has joined together, let no man separate." - Matthew 19:6 This is one of those perfect verses to describe Mark and I meeting, as it was truly destined from the start (you'll understand soon!) I had just left State College for a new reporting job in Harrisburg, Pa. As the news business goes, my new station wouldn't honor the day off I had for a close friend's wedding (Hi, Julia!) I was heartbroken. I scrambled, asked everyone I knew to switch shifts with me, but to no avail. The wedding was July 2, 2016 after all. How would I find someone to cover for me during a holiday weekend? This is where the verse comes into play because no matter what, I know now that I would have been at that wedding. Days before the wedding, I found someone to cover! The day of the wedding, my bestie Chelsey and I walked into the church together. We sit down and Chelsey says, "Don't look now, but there's a few guys sitting a few pews back who are really cute!" I (not so) nonchalantly turn around to peek and say, "I call dibs on the guy in the blue tie." We now know "blue tie" as Mark Gammell. The cocktail hour arrives and Karen Brownrigg (Julia's mom) comes up to me and tells me, "I have a guy for you! He's sitting at your table." The only person I didn't know at my table.....yeah, you know. He eventually came up to me at the reception after the relentless pressure from the Brownrigg sisters. We spent the night talking, dancing, and I never thought I'd hear from him again afterwards. He lived in Chicago at the time, I lived in Harrisburg. Again, the verse comes to mind. Three weeks after the wedding, I booked my flight to Chicago to go see the guy I met at the wedding; a place where my mom always said, "You know, Sara, weddings are great places to meet people!" As usual, mom was right, and I thank God for that and His purpose in bringing Mark and I together, come hell or high water. Now three years after meeting at the Wolfe wedding, we're now planning our own! :)

Having met at a wedding is pretty special. Even with the bride and the bride's mother setting us up, there was something different and special with Sara. This was truly confirmed when she visited me in Chicago. She actually took a flight to visit someone she barely knew. But that weekend it became clear that this girl was not just any girl, but someone that I could see myself spending a lot of time with. The rest is history. She is the girl that I want to spend the rest of my life with and laugh with. She is truly one in a million and I feel so blessed that she will be by my side forever.

On the same day Mark graduated with his MBA from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, he also decided that wasn't enough excitement for one day! In front of both our families, Mark asked me to marry him at the Duquesne Incline on Mt. Washington! It was the same day 39 years ago that my parents got engaged and we celebrated at the same restaurant where Mark's parents had their wedding rehearsal dinner. A little known fact about this Philly girl, my grandfather's family is from the Pittsburgh area! It was the perfect date and at a place that is special to both of our families.