RACHEL + JAKE

Rachel and Jake are a pandemic dating success story. They met on an online dating app in April of 2020. The world was shut down and everyone was at home, so their dating story began over Zoom. “Jake was very sweet and said he cleaned his whole apartment before our first Zoom date just in case any part of it would show in the background of his screen or if he had to give a virtual tour. Rachel was still living with her parents at the time so had to awkwardly tell them she was going to go on a virtual date just so they wouldn’t come into her room with laundry or something embarrassing.” 

There was nowhere they could go out on a date at the time with restaurants and public places closed, so their first in-person date was a home-cooked dinner at Jake’s apartment. The entire 80-minute drive there Rachel had butterflies so badly she thought she might be sick. When she arrived, he thought she was Rachel was somehow even prettier than her profile. They watched Rachel’s favorite movie “Dirty Dancing” which they had planned to watch when talking over one of their Zoom dates. Jake then cooked dinner that included one of Rachel’s very favorite side dishes. After dinner, Jake pulled out his guitar that he had been learning to play and sang Rachel a song that he chose especially for her. They finished the night watching some more movies and officially declared ourselves as boyfriend and girlfriend that evening! “He was such a gentleman, which is hard to find at our age on a dating app.”

A year and 9 months later, on Rachel’s birthday, she came home from teaching dance classes. “When I opened our front door, Jake was standing in the dark room lit up with tea lights and scattered rose petals everywhere. He was dressed in nice dress clothes and holding a ring box in his hand. I immediately started crying obviously. After setting down my stuff, he brought me closer, got down on one knee, and the rest is history! We were planning on going out to a fancy dinner the following day to celebrate my birthday because I had to teach on my actual birthday, which was when I had the inkling that he might be popping the question. When I told him that though after he completely surprised me at home, he said he couldn’t have done that because he knew I would cry and would ruin my makeup. He was 100% right and having it happen in our first home together was the most perfect thing.”

They chose the wedding date of January 7th 2023 at Main Street Abbey in Columbia and Smithton Turner Hall. Their goal was a timeless, classic, elegant, day with a slight bit of fairytale. I can tell you first hand, that’s exactly what they day turned out to be! Enjoy a look at Rachel and Jake’s wedding day! “The ring I wore on my right hand was my Great Great Aunt Margaret Benedick’s wedding ring that is almost 100 years old. The necklace I wore was from Disney’s Enchanted collection and very subtlety looked like Cinderella’s carriage. I have been a Disney princess girl for as long as I can remember with Cinderella as my #1, so it was a sweet touch towards my younger self.”

Something old: Her Great Great Aunt Margaret Benedick’s wedding ring that is almost 100 years old!
Something borrowed: Her Great Grandma Hill’s brooch which has been passed down to her mother is attached to her bouquet.
Something blue: Sewn inside the skirt of her wedding dress is a blue patch with the initial of her new last name and the wedding date . One of Rachel’s special requests was a 3 generation photo of her mom, grandma, and her hands together. What a beautiful way to honor the love of motherhood.The two chose The Abbey in Columbia for their wedding because it brought the classic and elegant feel of an old church with the shapes and stained glass windows, but still felt modern and bright.

The part of the day Rachel and Jake both looked most forward to – “She was beautiful.” -JakeRachel walked down the aisle to Can’t Help Falling in Love by Brooklyn Duo. “When listening for our wedding ceremony music, I instantly started crying when I heard that one because I felt like it was the perfect fit for what I would feel on our wedding day.” The Bible verse read by Rachel’s sister was about the story of Rachel and Jacob and how much Jacob loved Rachel. “We just left out the part of the Bible story where Jacob had to marry Rachel’s sister and have babies with her before he could marry Rachel lol”. The other reading was done by the daughter of some close family friends of Rachel’s family. She wrote her reflection herself and it was incredibly sweet.

“Saying our vows was one of the most poignant moments for me that will always stick out in my mind.” -RachelTheir recessional song was I’ve Had the Time of My Life (from Dirty Dancing). “It is the title song from the first movie we watched together on our first date, and Rachel’s favorite movie.”Is there anything better than a wedding dress that twirls?

Jake had never been in a wedding before, so his ultimate goal for the day was just to not screw anything up. lol. Rachel on the other hand really wanted to simply share the day with Jake and make sure they stayed close together throughout the rest of the day after the ceremony. I love that this was a goal because so many couples are expected to greet guests and pulled in so many different directions that it’s difficult to actually be together. Making a commitment to always know where one another is and connect every moment possible is great advice for a wedding day.

To be honest – if you aren’t coming in during announcements like this just don’t even bother. lol. This is how you make an entrance!First dance song: Country Radio by Aaron Watson. “This was the song Jake played on guitar and sang to me on the night of our first date.”Father/Daughter – How Sweet It Is by James Taylor: “Many years ago when I was probably 11 or so, I was in a performance group and I sang that song for a performance while dancing a choreographed dance with my dad on stage.”Mother/Son – Home by Philip Philips: “In high school, myself, one of the groomsmen, and another friend would sing that song for concerts and competitions.” Now that’s a packed dance floor!

At the end of the day they felt – Jake: Pretty tired, but excited and glad that everything went well. Rachel: Happy to be able to finally call this man my husband.

The couple’s advice to future bride and grooms? “Surround yourself with people that you like and that you actually want to be there.”

The two are looking most forward to Jake: starting a family Rachel: Continuing to make our house a home as we finish settling into our new house and growing our family in that home.

Rachel and Jake – we are so happy for you both and your families.  Your day was flawless and stress-free!  Everything felt so personal and thoughtful, yet you both remained laid back and go-with-the-flow.  We can’t say enough great things about the two of you and your perfect day!  Congratulations and cheers to forever!