SHE TELLS PEOPLE that their first encounter was at a wine tasting, but the truth is Jen Schuett and Paul Vaca met at a Georgetown University event known as Security — "a nerdy game similar to Model U.N.," Jen says. "We were both on Team Poland. He likes to explain the details of the event and our team strategy when people ask how we met." Their first date: canvassing for Barack Obama on U Street.
Paul's proposal took an unexpected turn when Jen twisted her ankle 20 minutes before the romantic evening he'd planned was to begin. He switched gears and brought dinner, wine and champagne to Jen's place, "where I found her lying in bed, icing her foot with a bag of peas." And there he popped the question. "It wasn't what I had planned, but she said yes!"
Jen, 25, is a graduate student. Paul, 28, is a foreign service officer. They live in D.C. and will marry Nov. 21.
Written by Express contributor Rachel Kaufman
Paul, 26, is a systems administrator. Virginia, 23, is a recruitment manager. They live in Arlington.
» The Main Event: A Nov. 21 wedding at an old Masonic temple in Baltimore. Their pastor will officiate in front of 150 guests.
» Honeymoon: A Caribbean cruise. "We're excited to go scuba diving in the different islands," Virginia says.
» How They Met: On move-in day at St. Mary's College of Maryland. He was a junior and she was a freshman.
» First Impressions: "I was afraid she wouldn't like me." "I thought he was annoyed by freshman girls following him around."
Stephen, 56, left, is a nonprofit accountant. Ed, 46, is a retail manager and art instructor. They live in D.C.
» The Main Event: They'll marry Nov. 21 in Hartford, Conn., with a small reception that day. A bigger party in D.C. will follow on Dec. 6.
» Honeymoon: None due to time constraints at work, but "the last 20 years have been one anyway!" Ed says.
» How They Met: Ed took out a personal ad in the Washington Blade, which Stephen answered more than 20 years ago.
AMY QUAN FIRST heard about John Cordone from a recruiter at work, who quipped that he was "eye candy." He found his new co-worker "confident and pretty." At first, Amy was reluctant to get involved with a fellow employee. But their friendship grew into love after she moved into a condo two buildings down from his (he "coincidentally" suggested she look in his complex).
John visited Amy's family over a long weekend, when he'd planned to propose. An uncle translated as John asked Amy's grandmother for permission." Grandma Quan was excited and honored that John asked, but she also wanted to see the ring first!" At dinner, "my grandmother kept asking other family members in Chinese (which I don't speak) if John had proposed yet— I had no clue!" Later that night, he popped the question.
John, 35, is a network operations manager. Amy, 32, is an HR consultant. They live in Alexandria and will wed Nov. 7.
Written by Express contributor Rachel Kaufman
» The Main Event: They'll wed Nov. 1 in a semiformal ceremony in Charleston, S.C. She'll walk down the aisle to Elvis Costello's "She."
» How They Met: Through Meetup.com, where members with common interests go to events and activities as a group. At the dinner event where they met, Adam says, the chemistry was immediate: "We maneuvered ourselves so we could sit next to each other at dinner and spent most of the evening talking to each other and ignoring the rest of the group!"
Mike, 28, is a housing program manager. Candace, 28, is a research specialist. They live in Arlington.
» The Main Event: The couple will exchange vows Nov. 7 in Burke, Va., and then they and their 200 guests will move to the reception in Chantilly. "That's where the craziness begins," Mike says.
» Honeymoon: Moorea and Bora Bora in the South Pacific.
Continue Reading "B.I.O.: Michael Sharkey, Candace Williams" »
ON THE NIGHT Bryan Yeary planned to propose to DeAnna Bumstead, he realized he'd forgotten something: her folks' blessing.
They were at dinner, celebrating DeAnna's recent promotion, and he had the ring sneakily concealed on his pinky. DeAnna — whose interest was piqued in Bryan five years ago when the Georgetown students talked cars ("He had me at, 'My first car was a '67 Mustang,'" she says) — didn't suspect a thing until dessert. That's when Bryan excused himself to go call her parents. Did DeAnna realize something was up? No, "she thought I wasn't feeling well, since I was gone for so long," Bryan says. After dinner, he wordlessly popped the question and she, of course, accepted.
DeAnna, 30, is an attorney recruiting coordinator. Bryan, 30, works for the D.C. government. Their wedding is Oct. 31 (no costumes allowed) in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. They live in Alexandria.
Written by Express contributor Rachel Kaufman
Joe, 33, is a software developer. Salem, 31, is a fundraising professional. They live in D.C.
» The Main Event: Rabbi Tamara Miller, who they met in a boot camp fitness class at the Washington D.C. Jewish Community Center, will officiate their Oct. 25 morning wedding in D.C.
» How They Met: On JDate.com, after Joe changed his profile to mimic Borat, the Sacha Baron Cohen character. "I figured, 'Any woman who will go on a date with me would share a similar sense of humor. Or be Kazakh.'"
Mario, 33, is a director of premier services. Kandace, 28, is a business operations manager. They live in Alexandria.
» The Main Event: A Florida Keys wedding with just 26 guests on Oct. 23. The reception will be on a Victorian-style veranda overlooking the beach.
» How They Met: He hosted a barbecue in his D.C. condo; his cousin Korey invited some co-workers, one of whom was Kandace.
» First Date: At Mario's house; they grabbed takeout and went to his place to watch a movie. "I ended up falling asleep on his shoulder and snoring. Extremely embarrassing."
Erin, 28, is a producer. Jonathan, 31, is COO of the Truman National Security Project. They live in D.C.
» The Main Event: Oct. 31 in western New York, with 200 guests attending the formal ceremony and ski-lodge reception.
» Honeymoon: Thailand, to ride elephants, take cooking classes, and rest and relax on the beach.
» How They Met: While conducting interviews with him for a video she was working on. "I think it was a great pickup line — 'I'm an Iraq veteran working with kids and orphanages back in Iraq.' What's not to love? I immediately had a crush on him but maintained our professional friendship — he was my client."
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