Mauricio decided to add Stephanie, a total stranger, as a friend on Facebook. And, guess what, she accepted. Weird, right? Some time passed and after a very successful slide into the DM's, their lives were changed forever. Frequent Facebook messaging led to daily texting, which led to a quick Skype chat, (to make sure they weren't Catfish) which led to their first long phone call. They talked about their 90's childhoods, their respective gator & deer encounters, their all-time favorite Disney movies/songs, Mauricio's awesome lucid dream about being Spider-Man, the deep mysteries of outer space involving theories about alien life, and the incredible fact that Stephanie (at the time) had never seen a Star Wars movie. It was in that 5-hour phone call that Mauricio thought maybe Stephanie was as interested in him as he was in her. So a few days after that conversation, even though Stephanie lived over 1,000 miles away, Mauricio asked, and Stephanie agreed, to be his long distance girlfriend. Still weird, right? Months pass by and Mauricio decides, with the blessing from Stephanie's parents, to buy a plane ticket from Florida to Virginia and finally go meet Stephanie, and her entire family (gulp), in real life. Long story short, it went fantastic. United by their love of the movie Nacho Libre, Mauricio, Stephanie, and her family spend a wonderful night sharing life stories, laughing, eating scrambled eggs and talking about how strange, yet amazing it was that any of this was actually happening. Steph and Mo have been making their way through the universe together ever since.

We got married in March of 2014 in a historic home built in the 1800s in the heart of Winchester, Virginia. It was an intimate, meaningful moment we shared together (and with our officiant) in front of a crackling fireplace that warmed more than just our hearts. For a mental picture, think Anakin and Padme in the last scene of Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. Stephanie had already joined the Marine Corps at the time, and was being stationed in San Diego, California. Of course, we wanted to have a celebrate with everyone but decided we didn't want to spend months and possibly years separated from one another. Figuring out how to plan a wedding involving two sets of families and friends from two different states, while Steph was constantly being sent all over the globe at unexpected times by the military was way too complicated. But now the time has come to PARTY and celebrate LOVE, the whole shebang we've always wanted! Bumpin' music, delicious food, fun + games, and lots of memories are waiting to be made! It's about time we have our Finally Ever After. And we want YOU there with us!