Our love story started as many 21st century couples' do, we met online. After a few days' conversation, we both sensed a connection and agreed to a date. Our first attempt to set a date fell through, but this was fortuitous as it gave us an opportunity to get to know each other a bit more and build extra anticipation. The first date was well worth the wait. We met at Cocktail Club the evening of April 20, 2021. As Lizzie walked to see Jordan for the first time, she saw "Something Big is Coming..." on the marquis of the American Theater, and it felt like a good sign! In the nearly four hours that followed, we were so enthralled in conversation we barely touched our drinks. We discovered we shared many core values, specifically the desire for close family ties and friendships, and love of travel (particularly all things Scotland). It was a perfect first date. Before the night was over, Jordan made sure to set a second date.

Less than a week later, we had our second date. This was a pivotal day for many reasons. Most importantly, Jordan got to meet Eliza Doolittle (Lizzie's Maltese Poodle). It was Eliza's 11th birthday and we spent the afternoon walking the French Quarter of downtown Charleston. In the years since, this has become one of our most frequented date activities. We stopped in a local ice cream shop to get Eliza a 'pup scoop' for her birthday. While there, a fateful photo was taken of the birthday girl that included Jordan's arm. Later, when Lizzie shared the photo with her family, her Mom's keen eye picked up on the mysterious hairy arm that clearly didn't belong to Lizzie. It would be a few more weeks before Lizzie confessed to whom the arm belonged. We were having such a grand time meandering the streets of Charleston, we didn't want the day to end. Jordan's sister, who was visiting for the weekend, was leaving town and he needed to say goodbye. At the risk of sounding too forward, Jordan invited Lizzie to join him so they could continue the date afterward. To his delight, Lizzie obliged and met Sarah and her now fiancé, Bruice, for the first time! After saying goodbye to Sarah, we continued chatting until the evening set in. As we parted ways, we made plans for a third and fourth date. Our chemistry was undeniable and our relationship was off to a strong start! On her drive home, Lizzie told her good friend, Meleah, that she thought "This guy is pretty special, he could be the one."

We made good on our talk of loving travel by planning a weekend hiking trip to Asheville, NC. Spring was leading into summer, a perfect time to be on the beautiful waterfall mountain trails of North Carolina. The journey to Asheville was exciting and smooth. We began to realize how natural it felt traveling together. Eliza Doolittle joined us on the journey and held her own on the hikes! The weekend was filled with laughter, beautiful memories, stunning landscapes, and incredible meals! From this point on, we were inseparable.

As the weeks progressed, we grew closer and Jordan worked up the nerve to ask Lizzie to be exclusive as boyfriend and girlfriend. This was the first of many "Yesses." Jordan was working remotely as an Accountant, but his office was only yards away from the flower shop downtown where Lizzie worked as a Floral Designer. During the weeks, most of our time was spent in downtown Charleston going on lunch dates, having cozy dinners in at Jordan's apartment, and exploring new places in town. Since Jordan worked remotely, he began watching Eliza Doolittle a few days a week while Lizzie was at work. He absolutely fell in love with Eliza and jokes now that his "life is run by a 6 pound floof." During the weekends, we spent much of our time at Lizzie's townhome on John's Island. We spent our days enjoying the beach, biking around the neighborhood lake, cooking up exciting new recipes, and engaging in serious competitions of Princess Pop-Up (A Disney branded version of the game Trouble). We quickly learned that we both appreciated the simple, happy things in life.

Over the summer of 2021 we both got the opportunity to meet each other's parents. Lizzie's parents, John and Marggi Porcari, came to Charleston for her birthday. Jordan's nerves were quickly settled after he first met them for dinner at The Royal Tern. John and Marggi were welcoming and kind-hearted, Jordan felt like part of the family. John even challenged Jordan to a best-of-three round of Princess Pop-Up the night they met. Jordan won. Jordan's parents, Van and Janel Gauby, came to Charleston for an evening and met us for dinner at Barsa. Lizzie brought a beautiful bouquet for Janel and we shared a variety of delicious tapas while getting acquainted. We are both blessed to come from loving households who put family first. As our relationship grew stronger, so did our family ties.

Christmas 2021 was spent with the Porcari family in La Crosse, Wisconsin. We were mostly indoors spending time with family, playing games, and enjoying John's expertly made meals. It was a cozy, lovely first Christmas together. We did not have a white Christmas that year, but it was all for the better! The lack of snow meant that the frozen waters of the Mississippi that lined the backyard of the Porcari home were perfect for ice skating. Lizzie spent most of her free time growing up competitively figure skating and her brother, Casey, played hockey. Every winter when the ice was right, John would shovel off an ice rink for them to skate on in their backyard. These are some of her favorite memories from growing up in Wisconsin. The frozen Mississippi river is a very sacred, special place for Lizzie & she was so excited to share it with Jordan. On Christmas Day, the sun was shining and made for the most beautiful sunset to skate on the river. Lizzie laced up her skates and Jordan laced up his… boots. Once out on the ice, it felt like our very own winter wonderland. Jordan was in awe seeing how Lizzie glided effortlessly over the ice with the gorgeous sunset as the backdrop. In that moment, Jordan knew he'd marry Lizzie and he had already figured out when and how he'd ask her - same place, same time, next year.

Fast forward to Christmas 2022, we are back at Lizzie's family home in La Crosse, WI. Wisconsin was a winter wonderland with snow all around. Everything was falling in place for Jordan's plan that he'd been developing for a year. Ring in hand, he planned to propose on Christmas Eve day while Lizzie ice skated on the frozen waters of the Mississippi. When we arrived to La Crosse, Jordan couldn't wait to show the ring to Lizzie's parents, John and Marggi. That night, Jordan took out the ring, explained his plan, received John and Marggi's blessing, and proceeded to enlist their help. On Christmas Eve morning, John and Marggi convinced Lizzie to join them for a yoga class. As soon as they left, Jordan set outside to create a skating rink in the snow. He finished up just in time to get settled back inside before the yogis returned. We were all set to attend a candlelight service later that afternoon. Under the guise of getting ready for church, we all got dressed up. Before leaving for the service, Jordan suggested Lizzie go for a skate while the sun was still shining. Lizzie was clearly on to what Jordan was doing, but she played along well. It was a cold afternoon, below zero, in Wisconsin. Nevertheless, the four of us headed for the ice rink bundled up in our Sunday clothes. Lizzie put on her skates and began gliding across the ice. Jordan shuffled out to join her in his boots. As we spun and danced on the ice, Jordan faked a fall (which was convincing to Lizzie in the moment), and upon recovery kneeled and began his proposal speech. However, as Jordan looked up at Lizzie, all of the words he had rehearsed left his head and all he could mutter to begin was, "Hi". From there, he found his words and proceeded. Through teary eyes we never left each other's gaze. Even when Jordan presented the ring and said the words "Will you marry me?" our eyes were still fixed on one another. We didn't want to miss a single moment or emotion. Lizzie said, "I'll marry you!" and it wasn't until Jordan put the ring on her finger that she first saw it. Lizzie's parents were there with us to witness the magical moment. Marggi took video of the entire proposal and John was kind enough to FaceTime Jordan's parents so they could take part. After a few moments of joyful tears, hugs and kisses, we all made haste back into the warmth. Ten minutes later we were headed to church, a newly engaged couple.

Our shared passion for travel inspired our decision to have an intimate destination wedding. We considered many exciting locations across Scotland, England, France and Italy. When we came across Château de Fonscolombe in Provence, France it encapsulated everything we dreamed of for our special day. We loved the idea that Provence would be a brand new destination for both of us. We realized that having our wedding in France, we would need to be legally married in the United States. We decided to have our civil ceremony on the second anniversary of our first date, April 20th, 2023, in our hometown of Charleston. We were overjoyed to include Eliza Doolittle in the proceedings, as she was such a cornerstone of our relationship & would not be able to be in France. Before the ceremony, we took the opportunity to have an engagement photoshoot in the French Quarter as it is one of our favorite places in Charleston & is especially magical in April when the jasmine is blooming. We decided to hold our civil ceremony in Mrs. Whaley's Garden, a tranquil hidden treasure within the bustling streets of the French Quarter. Jordan's former youth pastor, Bob Hinely, was kind enough to travel to Charleston to officiate. At the end of the proceedings, Bob gave us the book he read from. It was an empty journal, aside from his included speech. He gave the journal to us as a gift, to add entries on our future anniversaries. We were both brimming with joy, love and excitement as we signed our marriage license. We celebrated by enjoying a lovely dinner at Brasserie La Banque, also keeping with our French wedding theme! The staff at La Banque were absolutely wonderful & spoiled us all evening. It truly was a special day. Looking back, we are so thankful we chose to make the day more than just a formality before heading to France.

On May 6th, we arrived in Paris and spent a gorgeous day taking in the sights and making sure to taste a few Parisienne croissants before taking the train to Provence. Lizzie was thrilled she didn't lose her wedding dress throughout all the travels! We arrived a day earlier than our families and will never forget driving up to the Château for the first time. We had only seen it in pictures up until that point and had been dreaming of being there for months. We originally fell in love with Château de Fonscolombe because of the two turrets framing the main building, as well as the beautiful French Gardens. As we settled in, the grounds, staff, accommodation and cuisine far surpassed our expectations. On May 8th, we set up an engagement photoshoot with our Wedding Photographer, Rémi, in the stunning hilltop village of Les Baux-de-Provence. It was truly a spectacular experience and a wonderful opportunity to get to know Rémi before our big day. On our drive back to the Château, we were amazed by the expansive fields of scarlet poppies that lined the picturesque roads. Provence in May was everything we dreamed of! When we arrived back at the Château, our families had all safely arrived! We spent our first evening all together sipping wine in the main salon of the Château. During the day of May 9th, the wedding party ventured into the nearby town of Aix-en-Provence. We walked the old stone streets, explored the outdoor markets and enjoyed elegant French patisserie before preparing for our Rehearsal Dinner. We held our rehearsal dinner at Clover, a restaurant by Chef Jean-Francois Piège at the heart of La Bastide, overlooking the Luberon valley. If you are a fan of "Emily In Paris," you may recognize Clover from the most recent season! The day had been rainy, but the sun broke through just as it was setting, which cast beautiful golden light on the rolling hills below the restaurant. The sunset & meal we enjoyed with our families were both unforgettable.

Note from Jordan and Lizzie - We hope you enjoy the Gallery with photos from our wedding adventure! We awoke on May 10th to a sublimely sunny morning. It was our wedding day! We immediately got ready and went for a walk around the grounds. We were thankful to have a quiet morning together before the hustle of the ceremony. While Jordan was getting ready, he was surprised with a small pink box. Inside the box he found many letters. Lizzie had been writing to her future husband since she was a little girl and had been able to keep the secret until the perfect moment. As Jordan read the letters he teared up with joy, and the ceremony hadn't even begun! Our ceremony was set in the romantic French Gardens, framed by our beloved turrets and a lush floral arch colored with sweet peas and Lizzie's favorite David Austin garden roses. The air was filled with a live string trio playing some of our favorite songs. Lizzie walked toward Jordan to "Who Is She" from Kenneth Branaugh's Cinderella (the first movie we'd watched together and an inspiration for our wedding design). As the music continued, we recited our personally handwritten vows and exchanged rings, all of which was paired to songs meaningful to us. Then, it was finally time for our unforgettable first kiss as husband and wife. Once the ceremony was complete, we enjoyed a cocktail hour in the gardens whilst being serenaded by the live music. Our first dance was to "Your Song" by Elton John. It is a special song to us as going to Elton's concert was our first big concert together, and we both adore him! Lizzie and her Dad, John, danced to "Somewhere Over The Rainbow," a song she used to sing with her Grandmother, John's Mother, who we all miss every day. Jordan & his Mother, Janel, danced to "Dream A Little Dream Of Me," a song Janel used as a lullaby to get him to sleep as a little boy. The wind had picked up quite a bit, so we made a quick decision to move our dinner from outside to inside. No wedding day is perfect! The wedding party then made its way inside to enjoy an immaculate Michelin star dinner followed by the most delicious raspberry almond wedding cake! To finish off the evening, we gathered in the main salon where Jordan made good use of the Château's piano. It was a wonderful way to complete our magical wedding day. The next day, we had a beautiful, sunny brunch in front of the Château's chapel (where we had originally planned to hold our wedding dinner). The rest of the day was open and we all spent the day at our own pace. On the morning of Friday May 12th, we said our goodbyes and kicked off our honeymoon adventures. We began with a weekend exploring the Provence region, followed by a week in Greece and a final weekend in London. We feel so blessed to have had such a grand adventure to begin this new chapter of our lives together!