https://bybrea.com/blog/2023/02/22/michelle-steven-bethesda-marriott-wedding-photos-bethesda-md/

Please note: we will require that all guests are fully up-to-date for all COVID-19 vaccinations (vaccines + booster shots) for which you are eligible at the time of our wedding. If you have any questions or concerns, please let us know! ~~

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It all started at the beginning of 2018, when Michelle was back on The Apps and “liked” one of Steven’s pictures on Hinge. Steven saw that one of Michelle’s pictures had a very cute puppy (now adult dog, shout out to Zorba Langer!) and sent her a message back asking “Is that your doggo?” Alas, it was not, but nonetheless things had been set in motion that would change both of their lives forever. The two met in person on January 15th. It was a mild Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and they decided to grab a coffee. Michelle arrived at the intended location – Pear Plum, in Mount Pleasant – early, and despite her glasses fogging up she could tell there would not be room for the two of them to sit and chat. So when Steven arrived, they said hello and set out to find another place to enjoy a hot drink and each other’s company. They tried the next-closest place, and it was also full, as were the next three places they tried to go. But eventually, on their sixth attempt, they found a corner of the bar at The Coupe in Columbia Heights, and to their surprise and delight, each wanted to go on a second date with an Internet stranger. The rest is history. By the middle of 2019, Michelle decided to start the journey of homeownership, and found a great 2-bedroom condo in Columbia Heights. With this move, she also rescued Steven from the should-have-been-a-three-person six-bedroom group house he had lived in for four years. Not only did the two of them upgrade their digs, but they began to truly build a life together. The timing couldn't have been better, as the two of them would soon be trapped at home, together with only each other, for about two years. Their blue couch became an iconic fixture on Zoom; they learned to bake, and pickle, and garden; they bought a Peloton bike and never stopped talking about it. But most importantly, after a little over a year, they realized they had been trapped together and still liked each other. They decided they would get married.

Steven and Michelle are hardly traditional, and rather than have one surprise the other with a proposal, they wanted to surprise their friends and family. So they enlisted the help of their favorite comedian Naomi Ekperigin and set about arranging a ruse. They convinced Michelle's family to come up to New York for Steven's golden birthday, 31 on the 31st, (they definitely didn't have any expectations... that's a normal thing to do for a birthday party), and after keeping both families in suspense for a day and a half announced their engagement via a Cameo video (which you can watch here: https://bit.ly/SMF23EngagementVideo). After the family surprise, they threw a classic Feit backyard party where they got to surprise many of their closest friends. We are so grateful to everyone who has celebrated with us so far, and can’t wait for more celebrations to come! ~~

To sign our virtual guest book, view more engagement photos, test yourself on Steven & Michelle trivia, or watch our surprise engagement video, visit linktr.ee/stevenandmichelle2023 📸: bybrea.com