We're getting married!

In the fall of 2020, Olivia moved to Lancaster, PA to participate in a voluntary service program called the Shalom Project in the southwest part of Lancaster city. Around the same time, Chris was returning home to Lancaster after several months of living in Tucson, AZ. As the winter started - and the confines of Covid bubbles started to irritate - Olivia began searching for safe ways of getting out of the house. She had been attending Community Mennonite Church of Lancaster by Zoom at that time and saw in the bulletin that week that a new Coffee & Conversation small group was being started. She reached out to join and the organizer, who turned out to be Chris' mom, Susan, invited her out for coffee to get to know each other. At this coffee chat, Susan and Olivia found that they had many mutual connections through Harrisonburg, VA and Goshen College, where they are both alumni. Susan also had past connections to the Shalom Project and invited Olivia and her housemates over for s'mores a couple weeks later (and noted that her "very handsome" son would be in attendance!) As Chris says, when the Shalomies arrived for the s'mores night, Olivia pushed her way to the front of the group and made sure to get introduced to Chris right away. Even through masks, Olivia thought Chris was a cutie and wanted very much to see him again. Not long after, in February 2021, Olivia asked to watch the Super Bowl with Chris and Susan so she could get to know Chris better. That evening, they watched the game over soup and popcorn and had several flirtatious looks over a floral puzzle. The next day, Chris asked her on a hiking date to Chiques Rock (a date which went so well, it lasted 11 hours) and they made their relationship official a week later, February 19, 2021. And the rest is history!

We are incredibly grateful to our parents, Dave & Sheri Smucker and Susan King, for the financial and emotional support that have allowed us to have the wedding of our dreams. We are both thankful to come from generous and loving families that have supported us both individually throughout our lives and in our growth as a couple. We love you!