Timing is everything, and our meeting can be described as nothing short of serendipitous. We were both traveling through Thailand with friends in April of 2011, and after a rather wild night out on both of our parts, stumbled upon each other during an eco-tour where we were both lying on the beach recovering from the previous night’s festivities. In no shape to do much, we mostly just stared at one another for several hours before finally mustering up the nerve to speak. What followed was a connection neither of us expected nor could describe, which led to a great dinner and beautiful walk down the beach. We exchanged phone numbers and promised to keep in touch in spite of the distance - but little did we know how much we would truly remain connected over the following years! No matter what was going on in each of our lives, we kept in regular contact, thanks to technology and social media. Gavin even made sure Leia never celebrated a birthday without flowers and a phone call from him. After years of remaining pen pals and friends, Gavin called Leia one day to tell her he was traveling to the States, and asked if she was free to meet him. Leia booked her flight immediately, and soon after they were together again in New York. We learned the spark had never faded, and from there made plans to make it work somehow, no matter what. Thanks to the nature of both of our careers, we were able to travel the world on and off together for the next year, before Leia finally took a remote position in South Africa to be with Gavin full time. Gavin surprised Leia with an intimate proposal on August 18, 2018 and made it official! The couple has since relocated to California to continue the grand adventure that they’ve been enjoying since day one. They consider their love story to be truly ‘one in a million’, and look forward to continuing to build their dreams together.

Gavin proposed to Leia on a perfectly picturesque day in the Paarl Valley, South Africa, at the Montgomery family home at Val de Vie Estate. They’d just returned from a sunset walk when he dropped to one knee and asked her to spend their lives together. We spent the evening celebrating privately with family, before enjoying a formal lunch the next day in Franschoek and making the announcement official. We could not have asked for a more perfect and personal moment to share, and will treasure 08-18-18 forever. We look forward to celebrating our love with all of you at the wedding!

Our story is unique and so is our wedding! After growing our love between two countries and traveling to countless others, we are excited to celebrate the culmination of all of our adventures with you in Washington, D.C. After the roller coaster of planning a wedding across continents and a slight plot twist, we are pleased to be hosting our friends and family from all over the world in our great American capital. Washington is where Leia has spent much of her career in and around, and a central landing spot for our guests, full of rich history, great culture, wonderful food, and beautiful scenery. We look forward to celebrating with you in our very own mother city!