We are getting married!

Rebecca and Hunter could call their love story inevitable, but meeting and falling in love might also have been their destiny. Their families have known each other for almost 60 years. Their moms and dads, aunts and uncles, grew up together in Bridgeport, West Virginia. And it was a chance encounter at a Christmas party that sealed their fate. It was Christmas break 2014 and they were students at West Virginia University. Hunter was a freshman, and Rebecca a sophomore. In additional to their familial ties, they had WVU in common and soon found a spot next to each other on the sofa at the party. They began talking and… as they say…the rest is history. Well, not so fast. They enjoyed dating and spending time together at WVU. Their first date was at Chili’s and Hunter admits his choice of a very messy Guacamole Burger was not good. They were also serious students. And Rebecca’s goal to earn her degree in speech language pathology led her to consider other universities for her education. After 18 months of dating, and in a loving and committed relationship, Rebecca found herself packing for the University of Toledo. And Hunter? There was no hesitation that he wouldn’t be right there by her side. They were in this together. Rebecca completed her undergraduate degree in Speech-Language Pathology in 2018 and Hunter earned his degree in Finance in 2019. When they look back on that time now, they know they could not have done it without each other’s support, and the occasional trips back to Pittsburgh and West Virginia to visit family. It’s one of the things they hold most dear, that when they visit either state, they are with family. It was also during this time they became parents to King, a Havanese puppy. He is their most prized possession and a very good boy. Ann Arbor, MI, was their next stop, where Rebecca began and completed her Master’s at Eastern Michigan University and Hunter began his career, first at PNCBank and currently at Enterprise Car Company. Upon Rebecca’s graduation in August 2021, Hunter decided a little celebration trip was in order and found the magical spot of Mackinac Island, on the coast of Lake Michigan, to be the perfect location. He told Rebecca it was just a little get-away and had all the best views as destination stops along the way. Unbeknownst to Rebecca, Hunter made sure the view from The Grand Hotel was last on the list. It was there, on the steps of the hotel during a very heavy rainfall, that he proposed, and Rebecca said yes! It was the best day for both of them because it set in motion all they had talked about for the past five years living in Ohio. It was a day they'll never forget. Hunter and Rebecca feel truly blessed to have moved back to Pittsburgh to start their lives together and be closer to the people they love. Would anyone have guessed their families would be united by more than friendship and fun memories from long ago? It cannot really be answered. They feel fortunate to have found each other and the icing on their cake will be to celebrate their marriage with everyone they love and commit themselves to each other and God. It’s a dream come true.