Our Story
Steven Smalley
Groom
Well hello there! My name is Steven. I’m Swiss-American by passport, as well as German and Middle-Eastern at heart. I guess I’m what you’d call a “cultural mutt”. I grew up in the beautiful Black Forest of Southern Germany, though I call many places home. One of these is the Middle East, which is where I first laid eyes on the most beautiful Swedish-American girl. Sofia and I first connected at her Christmas party that I was randomly invited to, but then reconnected in January of 2023 when I moved to the ME. I was, well, a bit slow and oblivious in taking the bait this fine lady was laying out for me. Eventually though, during one of our fellowship gatherings in April of that year, it really hit me and I simply couldn’t take my eyes off her. We began exchanging meaningful letters and essays, and then quickly settled the matter when we addressed the very obvious elephant in the room. The more I got to know of Sofia, the more I grew to love her. She is kind, empathetic, compassionate, creative, versatile, ambitious, and - as you can see- extremely beautiful, both inside and out! It didn’t take long to realize that I didn’t want to walk through life without this newly-found partner-in-crime close by my side. So, under the shaded protection of an olive tree on a hot Middle Eastern day I asked her to be my girlfriend. It was by the Bosporus that I told her “I love you,” and on top of a rugged mountain that I got down on one knee to pop the question!
Sofia Van Cleve
Bride
Hi! I'm Swedish-American, grew up in Albania, and now live in the Middle East. Quite the cultural mix! The first conversation Steven and I had was about being "Fourth Culture Kids"- those who, like us, come from two countries but grew up in a third. So we create a fourth culture, blending the above three. Already from our first talk, I saw that Steven was thoughtful and easy to talk to. He had literally showed up at my doorstep that night for a Christmas party I was hosting, when he was on a visit to my city in Dec. 2021. Then in Jan. 2023, Steven officially moved to our country in the Middle East. We re-connected at church, and I became interested pretty quickly. I invited him to many group activities, trying to check him out and chat. But he didn't seem to reciprocate my interest. In April, I was ready to give up on him. One night with our friends, Steven and I ended up playing on the same team for a game. Sitting close to each other and whispering, we both noticed that sparks were flying. After that, we texted increasingly long "essays" until Steven finally said we needed to call. He told me that he liked me and wanted to get to know me more. We navigated the cultural obstacle course of dating in a conservative country, but still fell in love over chaperoned hang outs and walks. ;) Then on January 12, 2024, Steven totally surprised me at the top of a mountain with a ring! You can watch the rest of the epic proposal here: https://vimeo.com/909781877/bf08a1dae5