Rebekah was living in Charlotte, North Carolina when she took a visit to London to meet up with a friend she met through a ballet retreat, Lisa. The two ladies had a fun night of socialising at a local friend's restaurant, eventually closing down the bar and finishing the open bottles of wine. Eager to keep the good vibes going, Rebekah wanted to find another place to go. Lisa was tired, so Rebekah set off on her own. It was past 2 AM at that point, so options were limited. She wandered around London, ordered a pizza, sang in the street, and eventually happened upon a pub called The Lexington, which conveniently didn't have a cover charge and was having an 80's night. A local Londoner, Daniel, was having his birthday party that night. He and his group of friends also prioritised pubs with no cover charge. (In that case, the couple's economical sense helped them meet each other!) Directly after entering the pub, Rebekah went straight to a foosball table in the back where the guys were having a casual game. She joined Daniel's team. They made a goal straight away, and she turned to him, thinking - oh wait, this guy is cute! Another goal. She hugged him! And another goal - she decided to kiss him! Daniel was very happy this was happening. The pair danced the night away, singing every word to the 80s songs. "You love 80s music too!" Rebekah exclaimed. At one point while waiting for a drink order, Daniel's friend Leo approached Rebekah. "You've got a good one here. Great guy," Leo said. What a wingman! Daniel & Rebekah closed down the pub at 4 AM. Daniel didn't want to let her go, so he invited her back to his place. The underground workers were on strike, so the best option was to take buses back. The bus journey back to Daniel's place took hours. The two talked about everything - life goals and dreams, their values, their families. An immediate connection formed. They shared many laughs and words of wisdom (or, as wise as two drunk people can be). Arriving back at Daniel's place, it was discovered he forgot his keys. With no way to get in, and Rebekah's flight in only a few hours, she had to call an Uber and say goodbye there on the pavement in Hendon. While the sun threatened to rise, they shared a goodbye kiss. Daniel left a note in her Notes app with his number, plus a message that read: "Lovely meeting you. You’re.1 fantastically wonderfull. Thank you or fro spending your night with me. Whenever you are next in town please I beg of you to give me a call, I love you, Daniel xx88xx imagine it sideways. Goodbye and happy new year, From Daniel."

Daniel and I eloped in New York City on March 8th last year at the Manhattan courthouse. The only two people there with us were our witness Rachel (also my bff) and our photographer. The reason we eloped is that we were eager to start our lives together in London, and a spousal visa was the best path. I had recently lost my job in New York, and we knew that our future together was in London. However, an elopement is never something we imagined doing - both of us have always wanted a wedding, not a big flashy one, but an event with our family and friends which marks the start of our marriage. That's where this celebration comes in! We know it's not a traditional way to go about getting married, but we are so appreciative of how understanding our family and friends have been. We are so happy to invite you to celebrate this special day with us - Our Wedding! ~ Rebekah