We’re Getting Married!

AUGUST 2015 Racquel and Christian’s story begins at the University of Illinois. While attending their first semester of college, Racquel and Christian first met in the recreational room of their freshman dorm where they quickly bonded over music, art, and culture where they exchanged numbers and started texting each other that same night. Racquel and Christian’s first date consisted of walking around the ENTIRE campus and getting dinner together at a (now permanently closed 😭) Korean restaurant where they shared their excitement for trying new restaurants. After a few weeks of consistently seeing each other, dorm mates started to joke that they appeared to be a couple that had been together for a long time, which they then decided to take the next steps and begin what would eventually become a relationship spanning over a decade! All throughout college, they grew so much together, sharing many memorable moments that they reflect on to this day. Christian would always support Racquel’s performances on multiple dance teams (and embarrassingly join and perform on a dance team himself for a semester,) while Racquel would spend countless hours at the library with Christian, while he diligently procrastinated studying for his midterms. Through these shared experiences, Racquel and Christian both learned a lot about themselves and each other—taking on all of life’s challenges as a team. JULY 2025 Surrounded by the gentle, whispering leaves and the low rhythmic hum of cicadas, Christian finally proposed to Racquel at the Kyoto Botanical Garden, Japan’s oldest botanical garden, highlighting their enduring and everlasting love. Racquel and Christian have now travelled to 5 different countries together, continuously growing and experiencing the world all while embracing their time with each other. From swimming with manta rays, to kayaking through rainforests, to surfing in a thunderstorm, they now prepare to embark on their next great adventure together.