Rewinding the story back to July 7, 2023: Rachel and John were both turning 30 and were celebrating their milestone birthdays earlier in the day. John’s friends and family met at Top Golf for a surprise party (which John was late to after a long yu-gi-oh session). Rachel’s friends gathered at Pindustry for a Taylor Swift themed party with some rooftop games and celebratory drinks. Eventually both Top Golf and Pindustry closed for the night, and the two parties were looking to continue the celebrations and go out dancing. John’s sister suggested they go swing dancing at the Viewhouse Centennial, so his crew headed over there. Enter: A very tired Rachel, her friends, and some mojitos Rachel wore a crown saying ~I’m 30 Witches~ which got the attention of John’s crew. One of his friends yelled out “It’s our friend’s 30th birthday too” which prompted Rachel and John to start dancing. After many, many spins on the dance floor, they went over into a booth to chat and get to know each other. They started talking and couldn’t stop, even as Rachel’s friends did wellness checks behinds John’s back. Eventually Viewhouse closed and numbers were exchanged. After a few days of witty banter via texting, John suggested a sushi and ice cream date. The first date ended after six hours of conversation and laughter, and comprised of Rachel putting too much sushi in her mouth and losing where she parked her car. Apparently that was really charming, because John immediately texted Rachel to schedule another date. After the Taylor Swift concert was over (very important), Rachel agreed to a second date, then a third, and the rest was history. John proposed to Rachel on the beaches of Mallorca, Spain after she competed in a tennis camp. He coordinated his youngest sister to fly out from London and take photos after setting up a beautiful picnic with candles and wine. After sitting out and looking at the water and talking about the future together, John popped the question, followed by very enthusiastic yes from Rachel. Our favorite times together have included cuddling and teaching tricks to our cat Jasper, “super dates” taking each other to our college towns, international trips (Spain and Portugal), Sienna Wine Bar visits, playing new video and board games together, and late night dances in our kitchen. We can't wait for this next step in our lives, and to make many new memories together! We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your love & support as we tie the knot and celebrate our lives together! We wouldn’t be here without each and every one of you 🤍