We are getting married!

Rachelle and Mark met when Rachelle moved to Tampa in 2018. She was just starting out as Corporate Counsel for a health insurance company in Tampa and had spent most of the year stuck in an endless cycle of insurance regulatory filings and merger and acquisition diligence. One Friday evening after a long work week, Rachelle decided to take a friend’s advice and try out Bumble that evening. Rachelle matched with Mark mostly because his profile was full of fun pics of him traveling solo; she thought he had beautiful eyes and a kind smile too. They spent 24 hours texting back and forth about their favorite things to do in town, and Rachelle knew that she definitely wanted to meet him, before she left town for a family vacation to Europe the next week. When they met on their first date, at a local bourbon bar that was 5 minutes away from Rachelle’s house, they closed down the bar. They immediately scheduled their second date for when she returned from her trip. Rachelle was excited to go on another date, but figured she wouldn’t hear from him until she got back. Little did she know that tech savvy Mark had other plans! All throughout the Europe trip, Mark texted her everyday and provided her with thoughtful, personal recommendations from his own travels. She knew he was going to be someone pretty special in her life, when he recommended she visit Cafe Louvre in Prague to try their famous hot chocolate. The gorgeous, 100 yr old cafe that regularly hosted the likes of Albert Einstein was the mix of European aesthetic, history, and culinary craft that Rachelle adores. After Rachelle and her little sister, Isabelle, experienced some of the most decadent hot chocolate at the Cafe, Isabelle joked that she wanted to meet her future brother in law! Upon returning from her trip, Mark took Rachelle to his favorite Vietnamese pho restaurant in town, a bold move since Rachelle has a very discerning taste when it comes to good pho. Fortunately that gamble paid off because the rest was history! Rachelle and Mark have gone on to have so many fun and meaningful adventures over the last 6 years: from navigating a global pandemic in Florida to moving cross country to Southern California and then Northern California, so Rachelle could pursue the opportunity to join Google right as generative AI was taking over the world. Their love and partnership only grew stronger as they charted out a life together. On August 26, 2023, Mark decided to make it official. He whisked Rachelle away for a serene weekend away in Mendocino where he proposed to her on a gorgeous ocean cliff, overlooking the water (i.e., Rachelle’s “happy place”). Those who know Rachelle well, would not be surprised to hear that she immediately started crying as soon as he dropped down on one knee. After she said “Yes,” there was one more surprise in store. Isabelle, who Rachelle had been led to believe was busy studying for an upcoming medical school board exam, popped out from behind a cliffside boulder to share in the celebration. They are so excited to marry each other this September and are looking forward to having you share in their special day!