How did we get here?
Sparks in Ithaca: 10 Days
Although Rachael & Lucas both grew up in Ithaca, NY, they did not become acquainted until visiting home years later in adulthood. After 1-2 meetings on the dance floor over the past year, they shared a NYE kiss January 1, 2016. Misfortune turned to fortune when someone pulled the fire alarm at Lot 10 and everyone rushed out into the cold, grabbing whatever jacket they found. Lucas’s jacket (and car keys inside) were snatched up by someone never to be seen again.
Lucas then had to wait a week to get a new set of keys made due to the holidays, giving him and Rachael time to enjoy each other’s company and the flame caught quickly. Once his car keys were finally secured, Rachael convinced him to stay for just a couple more days to celebrate her birthday. He gifted her a new glasses case (Bae had destroyed her previous one) and Rush Hour on DVD.
LDR: 3.5 years
Lucas drove back to Charleston, SC and Rachael back to Nashville, TN. Soon after, Rachael received a fire mix CD in the mail from Lucas, complete with color penciled cover art – swoon. Lucas soon came to visit Nashville, at which point it became abundantly clear to them both that they’d been infected with love. From here, they found time to see each other as much as possible, resulting in a weekend visit to Charleston turning into a month-long stay.
Rachael got into graduate school in Pittsburgh, PA and Lucas, ready to leave Charleston, accepted a job in Philadelphia, PA. Although committing to 3 more years of long-distance felt like a near impossible feat, they had to try! They made it work by driving the 5 hours across PA for weekends and school breaks plus a lot of resilience and support from their friends (love you).
Finally in Philly: 4…5 years
July 2019 Rachael finally made the last cross-state trip to haul all her belongings to Philadelphia and move into the South Philly row home Lucas had recently purchased! After years of hard work in the hospital and in grad school, they were finally living together! They got a true crash course in togetherness when the pandemic hit, learning a lot about each other and themselves in the process.
After making it through the years of long distance and the stress of the pandemic, Lucas and Rachael decided they STILL loved each other and wanted to get married. Their courtship timeline came full circle when Lucas got on one knee on Rachael’s birthday, 7 years after that initial spark ignited.
The Proposal
The Day
It was Rachael’s 33rd birthday, so Lucas and Rachael took the day off to get a couples massage, browse local shops, get a tasty lunch, and relax before going out to a fancy-pants dinner that night.
The Moment
Rachael and Lucas walked to dinner through the beautiful Rittenhouse Square, decorated with lights for the holidays and peaceful on a Monday night. Rachael was naturally speed walking (as per usual) and Lucas was lagging behind (as per usual). He asked Rachael to hold up so he could tie his shoe, sitting on a nearby bench and bending down. As Rachael approached, he moved down to kneel on one knee and pull the ring box from his pocket. Lucas gave a very sweet speech about their lives together and the little family they have formed, and asked the big question. Rachael, shook and tearful, said yes of course.
The Glee
After the big moment, they got to celebrating. Lucas could finally relax and text the bros he managed to successfully level up. They had fancy cocktails at Rouge and a delightful dinner with much champagne at The Love, before making their way back home to kiss lil Bae and give her the news.
The Jewelry
Lucas commissioned a unique engagement ring, designed and created by one of Rachael’s oldest friends (let’s be real, sisters), Alana Cox (IG: @hunterandsparksny). The stone is alexandrite, a green stone with hints of purple that is filled with sailor lore (and magical powers?). Alana also surprised the couple with Rachael’s initials (RR) incorporated into the setting! Rachael, in the meantime, had also commissioned Alana to create an engagement pendant for Lucas. The pendant has a rose gold butterfly, representing Lucas’s spirit, and the word, “Todavía” engraved. This represents the couple’s teasing exchange of endearment, which got translated into Spanish during their trip to Costa Rica.