Jordan & Rachael
ARE GETTING MARRIED
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HEY THERE!
As you may know, we've been together for a while, and have had a lot of time to think about our wedding. We know we want to have a party in Upstate New York where we met, enjoy the beautiful early fall weather and share some of our favorite local foods with the people we love. We know it just can't happen without all our family and friends there, and current circumstances mean that might not be able to happen for a while! However, we already had our date picked and it just wouldn't feel right to do it any other day.
The good news is we think we can have our cake and eat it too! We had a lovely, small ceremony with our parents this October, and we will have our big party with all of you in a year or two when we are able to do so. Until we're able to see you again, we hope you stay happy, healthy and continue to wash your hands and rock your face masks.
Lots of Love,
Jordan & Rachael
A LOOK AT US
Since we met, there have been a lot of wonderful adventures and exciting changes but we've also had our fair share of challenges. From mice in our pantry to moving 6 times in 6 years to new jobs and adjusting to life post-college, plus a few surgeries mixed in throughout — we have both grown immensely as people and learned how to best support each other. Some of you may know all our stories, or been there with us, but for those who are curious, here's a look at our six years.
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AUG '14We start at RPI and meet the person across the hall. Turns out we both thought the other was pretty cool!
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SEP '14Bus trip to NYC to join over 400,000 other people for the People's Climate March. Rachael's first time in New York: impressed by the height of the buildings; not impressed with the allergies from Central Park.
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JAN '15Surgeries to Date : 1
Rachael has surgery to remove gallbladder. -
MAR '15Spring break! Rachael goes to CT for the first time to visit with Jordan's family.
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JUN '15In Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples by both the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
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JUN '16Surgeries to Date: 2
Rachael has part 1 of second double leg surgery -
JUL '16Surgeries to Date: 3
Rachael has part 2 of second double leg surgery. Jordan visits Ohio for the first time, and flies as co-pilot on a plane with Nathan. -
SEP '16Rachael and Jordan move into their first off-campus apartment with Leah. The next year will bring adventues with pantry moths, mice and relighting the pilot light in January.
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JUN '17Rachael and Jordan visit the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society and adopt a fluffy orange and white cat named Pita (a.k.a Bread). Pita enjoys catnip, being brushed and, most of all, food.
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DEC '17Jordan visits Ohio a second time to spend the holidays with the Vonadas.
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FEB '18Rachael and Jordan agree to get married and exchange rings to make the engagement official.
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MAY '18In the span of one week, Rachael and Jordan graduate college, move to Cambridge, MA and start new jobs. Pita is NOT a fan of the moving process and screams continuously on the 3 hour drive. In keeping with their promise to never make Jordan's dad help them move again, they hire movers.
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APR '19First big vacation together: a lovely week outside of Athens, Greece with a day trip to the monasteries at Meteora and a drive to Ancient Olympia. The apartment had a rooftop terrace with amazing views of Athens and the street was lined with orange and lemon trees. Best meal: tied between fresh bread and olive oil and vegan gelato + waffles.
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MAY '19Move from Cambridge to Watertown. Leah moves back in and Pita eventually forgives her for leaving. Rachael and Jordan start thinking about wedding plans and pick a date.
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OCT '19Surgeries to Date: 4
Rachael has a tonsillectomy and cannot eat for two weeks. For Rachael's first meal, they go to VegFest Boston, eat their favorite vegan fried chicken from Bartlebys and walk 5 miles along the Charles. Rachael also catches an escaped dog and returns Truman to his relieved owner. -
NOV '19Rachael starts new job as a
Clinical Engineer at the VA. -
MAR '20Pandemic Lockdown Begins.
Jordan starts working from home and Rachael's hospital begins to prepare. Panic buying is in full swing - thankfully the house had plenty of toilet paper! They go a few weeks without tofu or oats and make a dent in some canned goods. -
APR '20Rachael and Jordan celebrate Rachael's birthday before they must quarantine within the house due to Rachael's job at the hospital. It's a long 30 days and they are both very relieved to be able to see each other again.
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JUN '20The current situation required a reevaluation of wedding plans. They decide to proceed with a mini ceremony on their chosen date and plan for a full wedding party in the future.
10/10/2020
Rachael and Jordan had a small ceremony with their parents amid the beautiful fall foliage along the Charles River. Click below to see some photos of the day!
Rachael
Current Job: Clinical Engineer
Favorite Ice Cream: Strawberry
Hidden Talent: Cooking without recipes
Best Purchase: Jordan's ring
Favorite Book: World War Z Audiobook
Cilantro - Yay or Nay? Yay
Cake or Pie? Chocolate cake or blackberry pie
Name of Our Next Cat: Falafel
Jordan (pronouns: they/them)
Current Job: Graphic Designer
Favorite Ice Cream: Chocolate PB Swirl
Hidden Talent: playing violin while hulahooping
Best Purchase: Our trip to Greece
Favorite Book: Good Omens
Cilantro - Yay or Nay? 100% Nope
Cake or Pie? cake (brownie wins over both)
Name of Our Next Cat: Tahini
HERE & QUEER
It is important for us to mention that our relationship and our marriage is rather different than many of you may be familiar with. Our wedding will have neither a bride nor a groom, and our marriage will have neither a husband nor a wife. Gender is a complicated subject and is much more expansive than just men and women. If gender is a new topic to you, there are many resources online that can answer any questions you may have. This link offers an excellent introduction.
Our queer identities are a key part of who we are and how we are celebrating this special moment in our lives. We are two people who are very much in love and our marriage is a promise to support each other in the life we build together.
What's Next?
1 PLOT OF LAND + 1 MINI FARM + 1 BIG PARTY
So what's next for us? Our plan is to buy a plot of land in Upstate New York, near Albany, and build a house. We're looking for a place with beautiful views and enough space for a large garden, a few animals and eventually an orchard. Once we find the right place, we'll host our big party in the place we met and fell in love. We can't wait to see you!
Stay tuned for specific details once we know more. In the meantime, we hope we'll be able to see many of you in appropriately distanced settings. If you're interested in giving us a gift, the best present you could possibly give us is the celebration of our marriage. However, if you’d like to get us something, we would love support as we look for and purchase our land.
