In the Fall of 2011 Ryan joined a fraternity at Michigan State University & was f̶o̶r̶c̶e̶d̶ strongly encouraged to learn a d̶i̶r̶t̶y̶ dance to perform at the sorority houses at the end of the first semester. Rachel had the honor of coaching RJ & his pledge class. Rachel returned for her senior year of college Fall 2012, & spent some time at the fraternity house that Ryan was now living in. The two enjoyed noodle Tuesdays in Snyphi, wine Wednesdays, watching Toy Story while drinking Bud Light Platinum's & by second semester it was odd to see one of them without the other. Post-graduation Rachel moved to Boston, however the two would travel back & forth visiting each other, talk on the phone & facetime constantly. RJ was there for Rachel when she walked home at 11:30PM after her shift at the hotel & through the death of her first grandparent. Rachel was there for RJ when he graduated with his masters, studied for his CPA exams & when he was stuck in traffic on his way home after a long day at work. They traveled together to Orlando & Ireland, spent quality time with one another’s parents & siblings, & although they were separated by 650+ miles, they prioritized their friendship & became best friends in the years following college. I know what you’re thinking… were they in love & essentially dating this entire time? The answer to that question is NO.

On the Mulcahy family trip to Ireland, May 2016, after multiple bottles of Jameson, Rachel felt butterflies in her tummy for RJ. She blamed it on the whiskey & pushed those feeling to the side. A few months later, on a Labor Day beach weekend, those butterflies returned & Rachel thought ‘uh-oh, do I have feelings for my best friend?’ RJ came to NYC that December to spend New Year’s with Rachel, & after ringing in 2017 the two shared their first kiss. They did long distance for about a year, spending at least a weekend a month together, to make sure that investing in this relationship was the right thing to do, as they both were afraid to put their strong friendship in jeopardy. Needless to say, the investment paid off, & RJ packed up his house in Royal Oak Michigan & moved to the big apple. The years following were an absolute blast. They traveled to Boca, Chicago, Belize, Hilton Head, Marco Island, Washington D.C, Hawaii & more. They attended weddings, sporting events, concerts & moved in to their first apartment together in Battery Park NYC. After spending majority of the pandemic up in Cadillac MI, Rachel & Ryan moved to Cranford NJ during the summer of 2021, 10 minutes down the road from where Rachel grew up.

If you know Rachel, you know she’s a bit of a Nancy Drew; & Ryan saying that on February 12th they had dinner at an Italian restaurant at 5:15PM on a Saturday was suspicious. Why you ask? RJ does not like Italian & they usually eat dinner at 8PM. They drove to Westfield NJ, where Rachel grew up & parked downtown. Ryan mentioned he had to pick up something from the local bakery that he got her for Valentine's Day, & while standing outside he opened the box to reveal Rachels favorite cake with the words Marry Me iced on top. What a sweet way to kick off the next chapter of their life together.