Countdown to forever!

On January 1st, 2018, Ray and Kirsten met in a cramped diner in West Chester, Pennsylvania to eat breakfast with a mutual friend. The two stole glances over corned beef hash and chocolate milk as the table of four discussed a shared interest in video games. Kirsten recalls Ray looking cute with his green eyes and freckles. The hopeless romantic in her tried to hold onto the passing thought that she could be sitting across from her future husband, but the realist in her thought it was more likely she would never see this friend of a friend again, especially because Ray attended school over an hour away in Philadelphia. What is more romantic than tying the knot exactly nine years later to the day?

Not only did their paths cross again, but it happened only days later when they were the first few guests to arrive at a house party. Forced small talk turned into an engaging conversation. Ray recalls his nervous excitement as he sat in a folding chair next to the cute girl named Kirsten in the dimly lit college apartment. She radiated warmth and friendliness as she sipped jungle juice from a plastic cup. The two would speak only with each other until the room cleared at the end of the night, eager to get to know the person that serendipity brought twice.

On their first date, Kirsten took the West Trenton Line to 30th Street Station, where Ray stood waiting to give her a sweet, yet awkward hug. It was in this spot that Ray would propose seven years later. When they arrived back at his high-rise in University City, Ray cooked Kirsten a delicious dish of ravioli with red sauce and introduced her to virtual reality video games. The next weekend, Kirsten would drive Ray back from the Malvern station to “enjoy” food from Lawrence Dining Hall on West Chester University’s campus. He would indulge Kirsten’s love of nostalgia by showing off his gaming skills in Ratchet and Clank on her roommate's PS2. Within a few weeks, they would make it official.