We eloped!

Rachel told me on our third date that the reason she entered the dating market was to encourage people in the area to vote (it was October when we met, and the day was coming up soon). I told her that I found that extremely humorous and a genius idea, and asked why she had kept returning my texts even after securing my vote. She told me that, of all the guys she had talked to thus far, I was the one who gave her a good enough feeling to want to see again. Some time after that, I waited for two hours at Reagan National Airport to pick her up from a return flight from her home in North Carolina. It wasn't supposed to be a two hour wait, but the universe had other plans. By the time I had arrived at the airport, her plane hadn't even taken off, and we were unsure if it was going to, given the inclement weather. But some fortune favored us, and she made it back, so I could bring her home. A little more time after that, I accidentally told her that I loved her. Yes, you did read that correctly, accidentally. It's a funny story, and we look forward to telling it at the reception! But for now, I just feel it's important to say that it was an accident, not a mistake. I may not have intended to say it that way, but I meant it, and it couldn't have been more honest. To this day, it's the happiest accident I can recall. Some more time after that, I had purchased Rachel's favorite ring (the one she excitedly showed me from her folder of options), and I was waiting to find the right time to propose. It was by no means a secret; we had discussed it in detail. One day, she told me that she couldn't live with the suspense of not knowing, and that she wanted us to be engaged so that she didn't have to think about it. I gave her some peace, and proposed quietly, in private, which seems to be our usual way of expressing the love we have for each other. But just because no cell phone video or jumbotron footage exists, I promise you that it was every bit as passionate and meaningful, and I would never change a thing. It's been some more time since then, and now we're getting ready to welcome our close friends and family to celebrate with us. Thank you all for the love and support you've sent our way, and we look forward to seeing you there. - Noah