Although Rebeka and Jeff both grew up in Sewickley and attended the same high school, it wasn’t until later in life that the two crossed paths. Through mutual friends, they struck up a conversation, and after a few days of chatting back and forth, Jeff asked Rebeka out on a date. Rebeka shared her love of Mulligan Monday at Robert Morris Sports Area, and Jeff touted his impeccable golf skills – so, they landed on mini-golf. The weather, however, had a different plan. Despite the torrential downpour, Rebeka refused to take a literal raincheck on their first date and convinced Jeff to travel to Shot-In the Dark, a glow-in-the-dark mini-golf course on the other side of town. The competition was on! “Loser buys milkshakes,” they agreed. After a fiercely competitive round and numerous laughs, Rebeka beat Jeff by a whopping four strokes. He'll say that he let her win, but history will prove: that is in fact false. As they bonded over their golf skills or lack thereof, their chemistry began to brew, and from then on, they were inseparable. Jeff knew it was time to introduce Rebeka to his family. It was the annual 2017 Luau. Jeff was diligently introducing Rebeka to all of his friends and family as "his girlfriend," swiftly following it with "she just doesn't know it yet.” After a few Jell-O shots and a little bit of karaoke they returned to Jeff’s apartment. Jeff explained that he had been enjoying spending so much time with Rebeka over the past month and that he was glad she was able to meet his family. He finally revealed that he had been referring to her as his girlfriend already and wanted to officially ask. Rebeka couldn't have said “Yes!” fast quick enough while grinning ear to ear. The next day, Rebeka was leaving for a work training in Philadelphia. Jeff said that it was bittersweet that the next day was his "last day of summer" before returning to his teaching job to start the school year. They both wanted to spend the final summer day together, so Jeff told Rebeka to cancel her flight to Philadelphia and offered to drive her there. Rebeka was taken aback at first and laughed it off but then realized he was serious. They woke up the next morning and began their adventure. To this day, if you ask Jeff, he will say he only drove five hours to Philadelphia and then home on the same day for a cheesesteak, but it's safe to say it was for more than that... it was in fact for two cheesesteaks. Needless to say, they had the best "first date" as boyfriend and girlfriend. They saw the Liberty bell, visited the LOVE sign, and went to the Mutter Museum of Death, where they got matching "To Death do us Part" skull tattoos – temporary, don't worry mom! To end the day, they walked around the Philadelphia Magic Gardens in the rain. Magic Gardens was the perfect ending to a perfect day and a place that would become forever special to them. On the drive home from Philadelphia, it was clear to both Rebeka and Jeff that this was the start of an incredible partnership that would last for years and years to come.

Four years of love later, Rebeka and Jeff sat in their dining room, sharing leftovers from Jeff’s pizza-making birthday celebration, when Jeff said, “We should go back to Philly at the end of summer and relive our first date, and maybe while we’re there, we can have a photoshoot.” Surprised and excited, Rebeka immediately agreed. But, if you know Jeff, you know that although Rebeka has talked him into several photoshoots, he would never suggest one unprompted. Needless to say, Rebeka wasn’t without a growing suspicion for what was to come. Although Rebeka hates surprises and Jeff is bad at keeping them a secret, he did his best to keep all his tricks up his sleeve as he planned the ultimate surprise. When the trip was just around the corner, Jeff mentioned that they would be set to arrive at the Magic Gardens to meet a photographer for the shoot. “This is routinely offered to their guests,” he tried, poorly, to convince Rebeka that nothing was amiss. After checking their website and finding no mention of routine photoshoots, her nervousness, but also her excitement, grew for the possible surprise. To calm her anxieties, she took to (naturally) ordering about fifteen new outfits to bring along with her. The weekend finally rolled around, and they began their trip to Philadelphia. On their drive, they reminisced about their loving memories from over the past four years. The next morning, they arrived at the Magic Gardens. They were greeted immediately by the staff and a photographer who explained that they would be doing a quick 20-25 minute photoshoot. The photoshoot began, and Rebeka and Jeff started posing all around the garden. Eventually, Jeff and Rebeka made it to the grand staircase in the center of the garden. Jeff turned to Rebeka, grabbed her hand, said “Babe,” and she knew – her suspicions were right. Jeff got down on one knee, professed all his love, and asked Rebeka to marry him. She answered with a resounding, “YES!” They spent the rest of the day roaming the city and taking pictures. Then, they headed for tacos and margaritas. After a few margs, they weren’t just love drunk! Jeff’s excitement was out of this world – he admitted to being in cahoots with the photographer, shared all the details about ring shopping, and revealed his note that showed he had studied what to say. Philadelphia had been their love city since their first date as a couple, but now it will always hold a special place in their hearts. And of course, they concluded their trip with not one, BUT TWO cheesesteaks (from Jim's... obviously).