A little about the bride and groom...

Rachael
With parents in the military, I've lived a few different places, but for the most part I grew up in Virginia, and that’s the place I consider “home.” - Not counting Florida, of course! – Believe it or not, I was painfully shy growing up, and didn’t start getting over that until college. Something you may not know about me – in a way, I chose my career based on the college I chose to attend. I applied to Virginia Tech on a whim, checking the box for the College of Engineering just to see if I'd get in. As fate would have it, I got in, visited the school, and fell completely in love with Blacksburg and all things Hokie. After school I moved back to Northern Virginia for awhile, commuting to Maryland for work. That got old quick (traffic was ridiculous!), so I packed up and moved to Florida in search of an adventure, for what I thought would be a temporary experiment. Five years later here I am in Florida, with no plans to leave! I decided to go to grad school, and then I decided to work down here. And then I met Matt! So I guess I’ve found all kinds of adventures! :-)

Matt
Coincidentally, Matt’s from Virginia too! His parents still live there, about half an hour from my parents in Northern Virginia – very convenient! Matt grew up skating and snowboarding but dreamed of learning to surf. He graduated high school and headed to the beach for a life of surf and sun in Ocean City, Maryland. A search for warmer waters brought him to Florida. Matt got married, and he and Tricia had three children. Later, their relationship ended. Later still... then Matt met me! - My favorite part of his story - And here we are today. :-)