Not many people can say they met their soulmate at the grocery store.
Rachael and Garrett first met when Rachael was working as a courtesy clerk and Garrett was working in the deli. For Rachael, vibrant and outgoing, it was an instant case of opposites attract when she met the quiet Garrett. “He wouldn’t give me the time of day because I was just 17,” Rachael remembers. They went on a few dates but it wasn’t until a couple of years later after Rachael graduated from high school that something clicked. She went to Mexico for a graduation trip and while she was gone, Garrett realized that the time was right for something more.
“At first it just hit me that I really missed her company,” Garrett explains. “And then I went through a little stage of sadness without her. Even my best friend at the time could tell that I wasn’t the same when she was gone.” So when Garrett went to pick up Rachael at the airport, he wasted no time in solidifying their relationship. Instantly the couple went from casually dating to exclusivity. But despite the strong feelings growing between them, Rachael and Garrett were careful not to get too serious too quickly. “We were still so young. We were just getting to know one another,” Rachael says.
Two years passed and the couple were growing in other ways too: Rachael had started cosmetology school and Garrett began studying to be a paramedic. But, as Garrett continued to concentrate on his career, a distance was growing between them. The more Garrett gave to his studies, the more she wanted from him. Eventually the strain was too great and the couple split in 2008.
“I couldn’t give her what she needed,” Garrett says. “And I felt at the time that she relied upon me a lot and that her identity was too wrapped up in us. She needed to find herself and she couldn’t do that with me.”
Rachael agrees. “I really learned how to be on my own,” she says. “Looking back on it now, it was the best thing that ever happened to me. But at the time it was absolutely devastating.”
At first, Rachael spent a lot of time trying to win Garrett back. But, after time, she began to concentrate on her own life, her own studies, and her own goals. “I just really started focusing on me more. I became so much more confident.”
Months passed and Garrett noticed the change, and he liked it. Soon, the couple was talking about reconciling. But Rachael didn’t want a roller coaster love. She had overcome heartbreak once and knew she didn’t want to face it again. “I told him not to do this unless it was forever and it was real,” she recalls.
Garrett agreed, knowing that things were different this time. They had each grown up, grown stronger, and were now ready to grow closer. “Things were different right away; we could feel it,” Rachael says. “Our relationship was stronger, healthier, and happier…we were on the same page.”
Finally, the couple was ready for the next step. So, after Garrett graduated, they moved in together – sharing a home with his brother and sister. Six months later, Garrett’s grandmother passed away and he and Rachael moved into her home.
It was four years into the couple’s relationship, but when the conversation of marriage came up, Garrett still wasn’t ready to take the leap. He wanted to be financially secure and established in his career before starting a family. “I remember he told me he wanted to be engaged by the time he was 30 and I would always think, ‘Ugh, that’s two more years!’” Rachael recalls.
For the next two years, Rachael and Garrett spent time together – visiting with their families, hanging out with friends, and working on their careers. Finally, as his 30th birthday began to approach, Garrett knew it was time to propose.
“I really wanted to surprise her, so whenever she’d ask about it I would fall back on the fact that I wasn’t 30 yet,” Garrett says. “But all along I was slowly saving up and planning for it.”
One late afternoon, shortly before Rachael’s birthday, Garrett set his plan into action. Rachael returned from working out at the gym to find him playing video games in the living room – but there was something strange about his demeanor that caught her attention. “I remember he had this funny look – almost a smirk – on his face,” she says with a smile. “I kept asking him what was up. But he wouldn’t say anything.”
Rachael went to take a shower and when she came out, she found a San Francisco Giant’s hat with a bow attached sitting on the bed. The couple had plans to attend a game for her birthday, so Rachael assumed the hat was an early present. But, when she lifted it, she found a ring hiding underneath.
“I just started crying,” she remembers. “I was standing there in my towel and he got down on one knee…I was shocked; I didn’t see it coming at all.”
The moment was simple, sincere, and completely perfect. “I’d asked people for ideas and they’d suggest a nice dinner or a hot air balloon ride, but that wasn’t my style,” Garrett says. And Rachael wouldn’t have it any other way. “People try to plan these elaborate things; but it’s all what you make of it,” she explains. “It was so special, so simple and sweet.”
Excited to share their news, Rachel and Garrett began calling everyone and announcing their engagement. They’d wanted to go out for a celebratory dinner as well. But, by the time they completed their multitude of phone calls, it was too late in the evening. “We ended up having Taco Bell as our engagement dinner; but it was perfect,” Rachael says.
Wedding planning got underway, but Rachael’s brother’s orders to leave on a tour of duty with the Marines meant shortening the timeline. Of course, the earlier date brought a complication. “We didn’t have as long to save for the wedding as we’d planned and we didn’t want to go into debt for one day,” Garrett says. “We were really on a budget.”
Rather than blow their budget on fancy décor, Rachael and Garrett planned a streamlined, elegant affair. A classic color palette of black and ivory complimented the Mediterranean style of the venue. Candles, black linens, and modern flower arrangements of fluffy white hydrangea set in black square vases created a simple, easy vibe that was perfect for the intimate affair.
On wedding day, Rachael and Garrett exchanged vows under an oak tree surrounded by friends and family members. After cocktails, the guests were treated to an intimate dinner under the stars. Toasts from the bridal party and good friends were the highlight of the evening as everyone expressed their love and best wishes for the newlyweds. Afterward, the dancing and celebrating lasted well into the night.
“We got so lucky with our day; it was really perfect,” Rachael says. “We didn’t expect anyone to help us and we didn’t want to go into debt. But our family really came together…My Mom was amazing; Garrett’s parents paid for our flowers; my Aunt bought our cake; and my Grandma bought my dress…And our vendors really helped us be creative.”
In the end, the sincerity of emotion, natural beauty of the surroundings, and the quiet, easy elegance of the day proved to be exquisite.
“I wouldn’t change a thing, even if we had more money,” says Garrett.
“It’s true,” Rachael agrees. “You can have a really beautiful wedding on a budget if you’re savvy. And I learned that it’s not the money that matters. Our wedding was so special because of how everyone came together…My Grandma actually made our ring bearer’s pillow and two flower girl baskets out of her and my great-grandma’s wedding dress. She put all this love into it, and that’s something I’ll have forever…It’s a great reminder of what made our wedding really special and that’s family.”
Photos: Chris Howard Imagery
