Clear Cut Couples: Rachel and Alex
Rachel and Alex were fresh out of college living in Chicago. Rachel’s roommate at the time had grown up with Alex, so she was the one who officially introduced them. They were all at a party together, but Alex was dating someone else. Rachel wasn’t thinking about it when they first met, but over the years, they kept getting drawn back to each other. They would be friendly and flirty whenever they saw each other, but nothing really happened. There was a lot of attraction between them over the years, after Alex was single and eventually they became friends first and then their relationship grew. They’ve always been on their own timeline and they finally got together when it was meant to be.
Their first date wasn’t supposed to happen when it did. They were still just friends, but this day marked the beginning of their relationship. It was February 2017 and they were day drinking at a bar with their groups of friends. Alex spent the entire time by her side asking her questions and flirting, in his own way. When Rachel was ready to leave the bar and meet up with another group, he insisted on coming with her. They went from a boozy party spot to a low key bowling alley, which was a totally different scene, but it still felt just as comfortable and fun with him. After bowling, Alex wanted to take her out for dinner. They ended up at a steakhouse near Rachel’s apartment.
They were so caught up talking to each other that they pretty much closed down the restaurant. Alex walked her home at the end of the night and as they were parting ways, he finally asked for her number to take her on a date. Rachel said, “In my mind, we already had our first second and third date with all the activities that day. But after spending all that time together, we couldn’t get enough of each other. This special day was the beginning of forever.”
They have shared countless memories over the years since then. One of the biggest highlights of their relationship was surprisingly over the pandemic. They left Chicago in March of 2020 to spend what they thought would be just an extended weekend in Miami. Instead, they stayed for over 3 months, living with Rachel’s parents and sister. They previously had their own separate apartments in Chicago, so their first experience living together as a couple was at her childhood home. Moving in together is hard enough, so facing that challenge in Miami made things so seamless. And they couldn’t have enjoyed their time more! They were fully restricted due to the pandemic, so they really just hung out with family. It was such amazing quality time with Rachel’s entire extended family, who Alex formed his own unique bonds with. That opportunity gave Alex an understanding of how special her family and life in Miami is. Not only did Alex enjoy the months they spent living there, but he said it solidified his decision about joining her family. Rachel said, “I may be changing my name to Brown, but it was that moment when Alex became a Stein.” AWWW!
Alex proposed when they were spending the holidays in Miami, which is a time when tons of family and friends were around too. Rachel was at happy hour with a group of friends who made sure to get her to a restaurant close to the proposal spot. They apparently had to wait for their table there, so they decided to kill some time in between. Rachel’s sister had told her about an event that was right next to the restaurant (she sent her a flier and everything), so they decided to stop by while they were waiting for the table.
Turns out, it was a ploy to get her to South Point park. As she was walking towards the park, Rachel couldn’t find the event so she had her sister show her over. Once she brought her closer, Rachel saw Alex standing out there and she knew it was finally happening! What she didn’t see was the beautiful picnic that he had set up for her. There were rose petals, candles and photos of them all surrounding a blanket and pillows. Once she got to the picnic setup, they were looking out towards the sunset over the ocean. That’s when he got down on one knee and she said YES! Everyone at the park was watching and clapping, but they were in their own world. She then noticed Alex’s sister in the crowd, who was in town from Chicago.
She brought over a pair of sneakers for her that Alex was wearing too. They were engraved with their initials and had the date (12/9/22) on one side and “Yes!” written on the other. She was so overwhelmed with joy and shock that her head was spinning, in a good way! They didn’t stay at the picnic too long since Alex said there was another surprise at home. All of Rachel’s family and friends were waiting to celebrate with them! Her parents set up a surprise engagement party at their house with fun photos, great food and lots of booze. She said, “You could not wipe the smile off my face all night. I could’ve gotten married right then and there. Everything was so perfect and magical ❤️”
Since they have been dating for almost 6 years, Rachel knew a proposal was coming, but she was totally surprised how and when he did it. Alex is a very private person so the last place she would’ve expected to see him for their proposal was at a public park. As she was walking towards the picnic, she was so excited that she sort of blacked out. She does specifically remember him asking if he did a good job with the ring. “My reaction was ‘fuck yes’ since it was even more beautiful than I could’ve ever imagined!”
They are still in the early stages, but they know that they would like to get married in Miami. Rachel is originally from there and they’ve spent so much time over the pandemic and holidays in Miami, that it’s now a special place for both of them. And who doesn’t love a Miami wedding! Congrats you two! We are SO happy for you!