We can’t wait to celebrate with all of you!

Rachel and Stephen met through their mutual friends, Elvira and Carson. The summer after Rachel’s first year in law school, she worked at a law firm in Charlotte and lived with her good friend from law school, Elvira. At the time, Elvira was dating a guy a year above them in law school, Carson (they are now married!). One Friday night, Elvira and Carson invited Rachel to go out with some of Carson’s friends, including one of his fraternity brothers from UNC, Stephen. They met up at Andrew Blair’s in Montford, and Rachel recalls Stephen bringing the party—he showed her all of his best dance moves that night and bought her multiple rounds of his favorite drink (Fireball). She had the best time. Fast forward about a year and a half later, Rachel and Stephen reconnected at Elvira and Carson’s engagement party in Winston Salem. After the party, they talked the night away sitting on the pool table at Rachel’s favorite karaoke bar. Friends remember Stephen being pretty bummed when the night was over! Rachel and Stephen met yet again at Elvira and Carson’s wedding later the next year. While they didn’t get to spend much time together that night, Stephen sought out Rachel at the group Bojangle’s breakfast the next day. When Rachel moved to Charlotte just a few weeks later, she quickly reached out to Stephen who always had something fun on his schedule. The rest is history!

Rachel had no idea the proposal was coming. She and Stephen had planned a road-trip last Thanksgiving, stopping in Richmond to see Rachel’s grandparents, and enjoying the rest of the holiday with Rachel’s family in Pittsburgh. Rachel was excited for Stephen to participate in a few Oplinger Thanksgiving traditions, including his first turkey trot and making Rachel’s favorite pizza stuffing. Rachel had also suggested that they ride bikes on the Montour trail, a beautiful rails-to-trails route that Rachel used to ride on with her dad. Little did she know that weeks before the trip, Stephen had called Rachel’s dad requesting to marry her and coordinated an elaborate proposal with her parents. Specifically, Stephen planned that he and Rachel would ride bikes to a special spot on the Montour trail where they would stop to snack and rest, and instead he would whip champagne, roses, and a ring out of his backpack! In the day or so before the ride, Stephen became increasingly concerned about rain and that Rachel wouldn’t be able to pull herself away from work (of course). The morning of, however, everything was going smoothly—the weather was beautiful and Rachel finished her assignment. Unfortunately, as Rachel and Stephen prepared to hit the trail, they realized that Mr. Oplinger inexplicably (suspiciously?) somehow managed to take not just one set of keys to the car with the bikes, but both. Stephen thought his plan was ruined, but Mrs. Oplinger suggested they just walk the trail instead. After walking four (yes, four) miles, Stephen and Rachel reached a pretty gazebo where they stopped for a few minutes. Rachel started to eat a granola bar and was completely shocked when she turned to see Stephen on one knee! Rachel, of course, said yes. And, in the end, the walk was even better than the bike ride—Rachel and Stephen were able to call and share the great news with family and friends all the way home.