The year is 2010. The iPad had just been released, the USA (a superpower of over 300 million people) got booted from the World Cup by Ghana (a modest nation of less than 25 million people), and the TV show Glee was still fun to watch. Mark was attending a Halloween Party with his teammates from the Cal Poly Fencing Club. Rachael, on a whim, decided to attend after being encouraged by her roommate who was dating a fencing club teammate. Here is a re-enactment of what happened when she walked in the door: https://youtu.be/2xg0Q-eOXmg?t=25 Throughout the evening, Mark would approach Rachael, flirt, talk, and then retreat in a panic when he ran out of things to say. He would then repeat the process, each time with new material. Apparently this method of courtship was successful; the next day, Rachael requested Mark's phone number from the club teammate, and made first contact. #strongwomengoafterwhattheywant

Well, maybe it wasn't stormy, but it was definitely at night. Anyway, Rachael and Mark were driving home from dinner, with Rachael behind the wheel. Sometime as they passed through Templeton, Mark, the hopeless romantic, turned to his left, and said matter-of-factly, "We should get married." (Sorry, ladies: he's taken!) They got married 3 weeks later!

Rachael and Mark got married in the City of Atascadero Library on Friday, May 26, 2017. It was a small and lovely ceremony. Tears were shed during Rachael's touching vows and laughs were had during Mark's. After the ceremony, photos were taken at the Sunken Gardens surrounding city hall, followed by lunch with a few close family members and friends.