We're getting married!

We’re happy to share this exciting time with you and have created a space that shares everything you need to know about our big day. You’ll find all the fun details throughout our site, including a link to hotel options where we’ve blocked off rooms and a list of a few of our favorite restaurants around town. We can’t wait to see you in North Carolina, and thank you for all your love and support! The countdown is officially on to May 1st. See you then! Love, Rachel and Michael

Michael was invited to a board game party by one of Rachel's friends he had just met, and he sat next to Rachel most of the evening playing Codenames. They exchanged contact information (Michael's semi-legitimate excuse was MBA "networking"), but not much happened as Michael was about to move to Charlottesville in a few weeks. A week later Michael was in the airport flying back to DC and couldn't stop thinking about that smart, funny, gorgeous, tall woman he had met. Despite knowing a full time MBA program a few hours away would likely kill any sort of romance, he invited her on a date and she said yes. They both felt an instant connection and had one more date before Michael moved to Charlottesville. Despite Rachel starting a new job and Michael figuring out how to be a student again, they started making the drive between DC and Cville every other week. They made the distance relationship work, but COVID changed everything and allowed Rachel to move to Charlottesville. Two foster dogs, one MBA degree, and two remote job offers later, they moved to Durham in June 2021.

Michael: I wanted to have the proposal be a mix of the unique aspects of our relationship, dressin' fancy, and celebrating with friends. We already had a beach weekend planned where I knew Rachel suspected the proposal to happen, so I sneakily chose to pop the question the day before we left. I made an excuse to dress up by suggesting that we go to high tea at the Washington Duke Inn, and afterwards I said we should take a quick stroll in Duke Gardens for a few pictures (where I was going to pop the question!). My brother (and best man) John Mark and a few others were accomplices, preparing the proposal spot with a custom-made Codenames board that I had made with "clues" specific to our relationship . Though I knew she would say yes, I was still pretty freaking nervous and was so happy she said "absolutely"! Afterwards, we went out to dinner where several of Rachel's out of town friends surprised her, and then I surprised her further by having a crew of about 10 of our friends join us on our beach vacation. Rachel: We had a fun beach weekend planned for just the two of us to get a break from unpacking after our Durham move. Michael convinced me last minute to take a half-day on Friday to kick off the "restful" weekend early. We went out to a lovely tea, and afterwards Michael eagerly suggested that we go to Duke Gardens. I thought based on the way he was insisting that the proposal could be happening, but I wasn't sure. As we strolled down the gardens, Michael was one step ahead of me and had a nervous energy. We came to a bridge with some sort of sign on it, but luckily for him I wasn't wearing my contacts and couldn't read the writing until we were right up to it. As we got closer, I saw that the sign was a Codenames-themed sign with "MARRIAGE" at the top, and then he dropped on one knee and popped the question. All I could utter out was "absolutely!"