Rachel & Elliot
Our Story
How They Met
~A love story made online in the Pacific Northwest~
Elliot and Rachel met on BLK, known as the #1 dating app for Black Singles. Despite living four hours away from each other in the Pacific Northwest, through countless phone calls and facetimes they came to find that they had a ton in common, such as both being SoCal-raised and Midwest educated, sharing unique and varied culinary proclivities (from corn dogs to cactus cooler to vegan cuisine), as well as a deep desire to cultivate a strong family unit. Elliot flew to meet Rachel in person after a month of getting to know one another; their first date was at an Oregon Women's Basketball game (that moment captured above; their first picture together 🤎). Things took off quickly from there. Rachel spent the summer in Tacoma with Elliot and his awesome daughter, Paetynn. Elliot and Rachel had lots of discussions about family planning in the near future. And then, by the grace of God, they got pregnant, and Paetynn became a big sister when baby Madalari arrived in the perfect time on April 18th 2024 (two weeks later than her 'due date,' which was serendipitously Elliot's birthday).
The Proposal
Christmas Eve, 2023
Months prior to the birth of their child, Elliot had been plotting a surprise proposal. On Christmas Eve, he surprised Rachel with an engagement ring, a ring he had custom designed, with a stone that was worn by both Rachel's mom and her MomMom. Rachel and Elliot bought a house together in Tacoma in the fall of 2024, and they can't wait to get married next April!