We're so excited to celebrate with you!

Both Emmanuel and Rachel were accepted into the Act Six leadership program February of their senior year of high school. They attended trainings and conferences together all spring and summer of 2017. After bonding over their mutual love of The Office and hearing each others' stories, they started college at Taylor University that fall. Over the first few months of college, Rachel and Emmanuel spent lots of time together exploring Upland, eating meals, and working out together. They were pretty enamored with each other from the beginning! Emmanuel washed Rachel's feet in a friend's apartment and asked her to be his girlfriend January 14th, 2018. That is when they 'officially' started dating, although many friends and family members would say they were dating before that.

Emmanuel spent an incredible amount of time in the darkroom at Taylor University (a room dedicated to developing film photography). Rachel would often join him to study or just spend time together (especially during COVID-19 when few public locations allowed them to spend time together). After a long discussion on potential locations with their friends Zach and Hope, he decided that was the best place to do the proposal. Emmanuel spent the whole day of the 19th making a photo of the ring inside of a rose. He made the photo on his analog film camera, developed the photo, and printed the photo on an enlarger. He then asked Rachel out to a "special dinner." At that time, Rachel assumed the proposal would happen at the dinner. While she was getting ready, Emmanuel asked her to come down to the darkroom to look at the photo he had been working on all day (which he often does for photos far less special). She did not expect anything, since she was certain he was going to ask at dinner! They both walked into the darkroom. Rachel was still completely unsuspecting while Emmanuel reached down to grab the printed photo. He handed it to her and she turned to look at it under the light. While Emmanuel waited behind her on one knee with the engagement ring, Rachel examined the photo and began to understand what was happening. She finally turned around to look at him and he blurted out the words, "Baby, will you marry me?" Rachel quickly responded with a yes or yeah or mmhmm (neither Rachel or Emmanuel can remember!). Then, they DID go out for a special dinner!