Chris and Rachel met in the fall of September 2013. After chatting briefly on a dating app, they decided to meet. for coffee. That day was Rachel’s first day at a new job in Oakland. Chris showed up at Starbucks, 45 min late, and had already purchased a coffee on his way to meet Rachel for coffee. She asked him if he wanted a coffee and he replied with, "Nah I already got one". Regardless, they took an evening stroll around Lake Merritt and hit it off. The evening must have gone well because they were inseparable after that. 3 weeks later, they took their first trip together to Carme and made their relationship official. It wasn't until 8 years later that Chris proposed to Rachel in December of 2020. They had been through a lot together. They have lived all over the Bay Area; have had 5 fur babies together; taken countless trips all over the world, had a long-distance relationship when Rachel moved to New York. Even separated at one point, questioning their relationship. But these things didn't drive them apart, it brought them together. It was these important experiences that solidified how they felt about each other, and the future they wanted. One of the hardest moments of their relationship was losing Rachel's dad. It was and is the worst period of time they have dealt with. Chris looked up to him as a role model of a good father and husband. Unfortunately, Chris never got to ask Rachel's dad about marrying her; but it was that tragedy that helped him realize that life isn't going to wait for you, and he proposed to Rachel in their living room. It wasn't glamorous or a public display, but it was a happy and intimate moment nonetheless. For both of them, marriage wasn't the logical next step. It was a gesture of commitment that they wanted this together. It was a way to shed all the hardships of the past, and to start new together. All of the problems they will face are now as a team and must be solved as a team. Marriage represents a new beginning for them.

On July 1st of last year, they eloped and had a civil ceremony in Placerville. September 24th, 2022 will be the big day when they'll finally be able to say their vows and exchange rings in the presence of everyone they love. They are very excited about this day, and cannot wait to celebrate and share with everyone they love.