Friday September 15, 2017
Brooklyn, New York
2851 days 5 hrs 12 mins ago
The Story
They met in the discussion section of a comparative politics class their last semester at UVA, but never saw each other outside of class. At graduation that May, they found themselves standing near each other in the hot basement of Mem Gym, waiting to process for their degree ceremony, and struck up a conversation about post-graduation plans. She told him she was going to Korea and then moving to New York. He has no idea what he could've told her, other than "still trying to figure that out." He was struck by her bright personality and confident, friendly demeanor, and she assumed a more prominent place in his memory because of that brief conversation. But they went their separate ways a few minutes later, and that could very well have been the end of the story.
But it wasn't. Fast forward to the winter of 2010, when he was finalizing the distro list for his "Year in Revue" mix collection, comprising all the hottest tracks from the year that was (illegally downloaded, of course, but, hey, everyone was doing it back in the pre-streaming dark ages). He wanted to augment the group of recipients already being subjected to his semi-monthly mixes with some of his Facebook friends who, based on their published music tastes, might enjoy the stylings of DJ AK-47. (This probably seems less creepy now than it actually was at the time—a testament to "evolved" expectations of data-driven personalization and eroded expectations of online privacy.) She, of course, was added to the list, and that sparked a casual series of "hey, good to hear from you, how's life" emails.
The following March, he had plans to be in New York and asked if she wanted to meet for a drink. For some reason, she agreed, and he drove up from his home in Richmond with his head swimming in an intoxicating mixture of nervousness and excitement.
By the end of that weekend, two people who had barely known each other 72 hours earlier were trying to figure out what to do about a connection that had forged fast and strong. They decided (well, she decided, since by this point he had already pretty much fallen head over heels in love with her and would've done just about anything to make a go of it) that, despite the long odds of building a relationship over distance, it was worth the effort and risk to see where it went. Somewhere on the Jersey Turnpike on his drive back to Virginia, he thought for the first time, "she could be the one."
The ensuing two-plus years weren't always fun, and they weren't always easy. But they were a whole lot of fun, and they were generally much easier than a long-distance relationship ought to be. The pair fell more and more in love and began to see their respective futures as more and more inextricably linked. There were tough conversations about who would move, and when, and there were too many tearful goodbyes to count. But there were also innumerable laughs, and weekend road trips, and date nights at the movies, and wee-hour phone calls when they hung up with huge smiles on their faces, knowing the sacrifices were worth it because theirs was a relationship that would last forever.
Finally, after ironing out a particularly rough patch, there was a moment of truth: they'd done the distance thing as well as they could, for as long as they could, and if their relationship really was going to last forever, they needed to get in the same place. So, he readied himself for a move to New York no later than summer's end, 2013. Fortunately, a job offer came before that, and he moved to Brooklyn in June of that year.
The story becomes somewhat less interesting in the after-the-move era, although their life together has become exponentially sweeter since. Now, they're just two regular kids (who aren't really kids anymore) living, loving, laughing, and navigating the mundane and the monumental as a team. Last March, he finally got his act together and asked her to marry him (she said yes!) on a mountaintop in Ulster County, NY, two days shy of their fifth anniversary. And in a truly poetic twist of fate, their story came full circle two nights later when they spent their actual anniversary at an LCD Soundsystem concert—five years to the day after it all began at one.
We love each other, and we love each of you. If you're still reading, thank you for enduring an overlong tale, and thank you for sharing our special day and our lives. We wouldn't be here without you.
Q & A
How did you first meet?
In class at the University of Virginia, but the sparks didn't fly until three years later in New York.
Who made the first move? How?
There was a kiss at a concert, but like the identity of the Babushka Lady, who kissed whom remains an unsolved mystery.
What's your favorite activity together?
Although we love going to movies and concerts, trying new restaurants, and traveling, our favorite thing to do is just hang out at home with each other and our dog, Brahms.
Where are you going for your honeymoon?
Cape Town and Kruger National Park, South Africa; and Mauritius, a small island in the Indian Ocean
What's the best meal you have eaten together?
Danielle is lucky to work with some of the best chefs in the world, and two of our favorite meals were at Incanto, Chris Cosentino's former shrine to offal in San Francisco, and Shaya, the eponymous New Orleans restaurant of Alon Shaya.
What's the most memorable trip you have taken together?
It's impossible to pick just one because all of our trips are always amazing, but our trip last year to China and Japan has to be near the top of the list.
What nicknames do you have for each other?
<INFORMATION REDACTED>
Schedule of Events
Friday, September 15, 2017
Ceremony & Cocktail Hour
7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Note: Our ceremony and reception are adults-only.
Cocktail attire
Dinner & Dancing
8:30 PM to 12:00 AM
Saturday, September 16, 2017
After-Party
12:00 AM to 4:00 AM
Where to Stay
Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott – Brooklyn
Holiday Inn Brooklyn Downtown
Room block under Kim-Koeniger Wedding. Book by July 30th.
AirBnB
We have secured special rates at three great Brooklyn hotels, but you may find AirBnB or another vacation rental site to be a better option for you. We encourage everyone to do whatever will make their stay in Brooklyn most enjoyable.
Hotel Le Bleu
Room block under Kim-Koeniger Wedding. Book by July 30th.
Registry
Having all our friends and family together in one place to celebrate our love is the greatest gift we could ever ask for. But of course there are a few other things we want too!