Wedding Date on Nov 11, 2017

Meeting: On July 22, 2014, our story began with a simple reference to Van Morrison's song "Brown Eyed Girl". We spent a few weeks passing messages back and forth, before Chris finally got the courage to ask me out for out first date. We had our first date on August 5, 2014 at The Grilled Oyster Company, in Potomac, MD. Easy conversation and jokes made us both feel like we had known each other for years. Innocent mentions of the old Timex watch that I was wearing lead to discoveries that both of us had a unique love and relationship with their grandparents. I shared that just a month ago I had lost my grandfather just like Chris, shared 7 months earlier lost his. It was in that conversation that we realized we had something beautifully unique, quickly comforting, and eerily similar sitting right in front of each other. From then on the laughter kept happening and the love kept growing. Still to this day they attribute our meeting to their grandparents picking each other out for one another. The Proposal: The day my life changed forever. My birthday was approaching and Chris was planning a Saturday BBQ for my 30th. Since Father's Day and my birthday both fell on Sunday, Chris encouraged us to go out alone and celebrate on Friday night. Without hesitation I suggested "Black Market Bistro" which is one of our favorites, and Chris went ahead and made reservations. Black Market Bistro is a beautiful restaurant set in an old Victorian house alongside train tracks in a quaint little neighborhood. Chris, knowing that this would be my selection, had a much more memorable evening planned. Friday evening came and Chris surprised me with a visit from my out of town best friend distracting my thoughts from the potential this evening could have. He shared with me that the three of us were going to have dinner together. As we were walking up the restaurant Chris grabbed my hand and had me follow him to the old wooden train station. On the station wall there was a folded note that said "Rachel". Confused… I took it off the wall and opened it up, it read: "Sometimes the easiest questions take the most courage to ask. Will you.....". Before I could say a word, I turned around and Chris had dropped to his knee with a box holding the most beautiful ring. He then asked me the best question in the world, to be his wife! There were so many tears of happiness and waves of emotion, and all I wanted to do was call my family. Chris encouraged me to enjoy the moment and wait until we got inside the restaurant to call everyone. As we walked in I was greeted with another surprise when I turned the corner and saw all of our family waiting to celebrate! Taking special to another level, Chris had a photographer present during the proposal and surprise party capturing the special moments as they happened. Needless to say this was my total dream proposal!!! Then on November 11, 2017 I got to marry my very best friend in the entire world :)