Images: Rachel Couch
It was a volatile weekend. Between the weather (that rain seriously felt like it was never going to end), the news (ANOTHER school shooting & the royal wedding), and trying to be productive on a wedding-less weekend, I am exhausted. Keeping with the theme of the weekend, I found time to relax (hmmm prenatal massage), and over worked myself (pulling weeds & yard work for an hour+ yesterday). I am already looking forward to the upcoming 3-day weekend (though it won’t be all relaxation for me, as I have my second to last wedding of the Spring/Summer season on Memorial Day!).
I didn’t get up early to watch the Royal Wedding (in fact, I’ll admit I didn’t even realize it was happening this weekend … whoops), but I did catch up on Twitter, enough to fall for some of those ah-mazing looks Harry & Meghan threw each other, the beautiful sermon the minister gave, and, the spectacular performance of the Gospel Choir. So let’s do like Bishop Curry asked us to, and kick-off the week with the power of love.
Our story begins in the summer of 2014. Justin, a graduate student at the time, was tasked with conducting a phone interview with the soon-to-be “new girl” at the research center where he worked. He still recalls how Fiona took the call while outdoors and on the go, and thought that she must be a pretty cool and confident person to do so. He was sold, and they soon began working together as Fiona joined his research team and started her first semester in the same graduate program.
Maintaining a friendship over the next couple of years, the story of “Fiona & Justin” wouldn’t truly begin until June 2016, after Justin had moved to Washington, DC to pursue his career after graduate school.
Staying in touch, the two began dating and enjoying their first summer in the nation’s capital. They constantly explored together – hiking at Great Falls, walking along the Georgetown Waterfront, going to Nationals games, and finding favorite restaurants all around the area.
Fiona would then return to school for another year, and the two would travel to see each other nearly every weekend, before she landed an internship that would put her back in DC for an entire summer. It was over this summer that Fiona and Justin established a daily life filled with love and adventure that solidified their ambitions for a forever together. Justin proposed to Fiona at the Bartholdi Fountain, yards from the Capital building, just as the sun was setting on the city. Fiona said “yes” and the two have continued to build their life together ever since.
They still love being outdoors, going to Nationals games, and eating at their favorite restaurants. And Justin still thinks Fiona is as cool and confident as he did when she was just a voice on the other side of the phone, four years ago.
