we're getting married

Rachael and Matt’s story began on Bumble, where the "ladies first" rule led Rachael to lead with a truly revolutionary opening line: "Hey!" It was clearly all Matt needed to hear. After a minor delay (Matt claimed he was sick, though the jury is still out), they finally met for drinks at Grape & Grain. Their second date is one for the history books. Rachael showed up dressed for dinner; Matt showed up in sweatpants. Having indulged in a large corporate lunch, he was "too full" to eat. They settled for a walk, which Rachael still affectionately calls their "half-a-date." It took a third attempt to finally get that dinner, but shortly after, Rachael left for New Zealand. While most "half-dates" would have fizzled out, they both stayed put. They knew they had something special. By the third weekend of January 2019, they were officially a couple. Fast forward seven years: they’ve moved twice, raised a very spoiled cat named Milo, and explored everything from Mexico to Ireland (once Matt finally secured his passport). On Christmas morning 2024, Matt brought a long-running joke to life. Months earlier, Rachael had jokingly written on a napkin that they could only open a specific expensive bottle of wine "when Matt proposed." There, under the tree, sat the bottle and the napkin. Matt got down on one knee, and Rachael—fresh out of the shower and still in her robe and hair towel—sobbed a resounding "Yes!" It was perfectly, authentically them.