Welcome! We're so excited to celebrate our wedding with you. All the details for our big day are right here.

We met at a Kizomba dance workshop in Philadelphia while COVID mask restrictions were still in place. Before the lesson began, the instructor encouraged everyone to mingle and socialize. John introduced himself to Ellen and her friends, and the conversation quickly turned to his passion for cooking. That’s when one of Ellen’s friends jokingly threw her under the bus with the enthusiastic declaration, “She loves to eat!” During class, John and Ellen shared a brief but intimate moment during a “dance hug” demonstration. Ellen later described that moment as her “ah-ha” realization. After class, John made the effort to ask Ellen for her Facebook Messenger. The conversation continued outside the venue—this time with masks off. The interaction was short but warm and memorable. Eventually, John and Ellen went their separate ways. Yet within thirty minutes of leaving, they both reached out to each other on Messenger at the exact same time. John didn’t hesitate to be direct. His message was simple: “I’d like to get to know you.” On the way home, they agreed to meet for dinner in Wilmington, Delaware. That dinner lasted five hours and was filled with conversations about their childhoods, their upbringings, and the surprising similarities in their lives. What captured John’s attention most about Ellen was her strong sense of community. Their first date was briefly interrupted by four of her friends stopping by to say hello—an unexpected moment that spoke volumes about the kind of person she was and the relationships she nurtured. That night was the beginning of something special—one small moment that would grow into a journey leading them here, five years later.