Our Story
On July 4th, 2021, I received a notification: "Gino has added you."
For months leading up to that moment, our mutual friends kept saying we had to meet, but funny enough, they never actually gave Gino my contact info. Eventually, we were both added to a group chat for a birthday party, and that’s when Gino went in for the kill!
He messaged me privately, and at exactly 8:01 PM, right as the fireworks lit up the sky, he asked me out on a date. With his charm (and literal sparks flying), I decided to take a risk and do something I’d never done before: go on a blind date. This small leap changed my life in ways I can’t describe.
We met on July 6th at Ramona Cafe and instantly hit it off.
Since then, our relationship has been a pattern of taking risks and reaping the rewards! Traveling the world, finishing school together, raising our beautiful fur babies, moving to a different state , starting our careers, blending our amazing families together, and so much more. Gino has become my go to person, my light, and someone who truly makes me feel seen.
I can't wait to begin this next chapter and continue to live in bliss as his wife come February.
— Raja
It all started with a Snapchat! After being added to a group chat along with Raja, I felt emboldened enough to send a message to Raja privately to ask if we could get to know each other more. I sent the message on July 4th, 2021, right after the fireworks show started going off in Ramona. Sparks were flying in more ways than one!
We soon met up for our very first date at the Ramona Cafe a couple of days later. We hit it off, and now four years later, I am so excited to share my love of Raja with the ones who are the closest to us.
— Gino
The Proposal
Just before our 3 year anniversary, Gino and I met up for lunch after work. Shortly after ordering our food, Gino slid an envelope across the table and said, “I can’t keep the secret any longer.” Naturally, I assumed it was a surprise concert or one of his signature sweet gestures, as he is always full of sweet surprises. But what I opened turned out to be so much more.
Inside was a printout of tickets to Greece. I burst into tears right there. In that moment, I knew he was going to propose in Greece! And even beyond that, the person I love most just made one of my lifelong dreams come true.
It might sound cheesy (and we’re all about the cheese here!), but Mama Mia was my comfort movie growing up. I had a Mama themed birthday party, owned all things ABBA, and I’d always dreamed of going to Greece—jumping on a bed, belting out Dancing Queen by ABBA (badly I’ll admit, Gino’s the one with the musical talent). But I never imagined I’d get to live that dream with the love of my life.
On May 20th, as the sun set in Santorini, Gino asked me to marry him, and just like that, I became a fiancée. It was truly like a scene from a movie, one I replay in my head over and over. I have found someone who is just as extra as I am, who celebrates every part of me and never dims my light.
Because of Gino, I get to live a life full of love and gratitude. I am rich in all the ways that matter most and wish this joy on everyone.
While we have been a union in all ways but legal, we are excited to share the official unifying of our love with our friends and family.
— Raja
Throughout our relationship, Raja had always expressed her dream of getting proposed to in Greece, inspired by her love for the Mama Mia franchise. I knew I had to make that dream come true, one way or another.
A month before our 3 year anniversary, I surprised Raja with a Mediterranean Cruise that happened to stop through Santorini and Mykonos, Greece. I had decided that Santorini was going to be the place, and with the cruise about a year away, I had time to start planning it out.
With a mix of careful planning and stressful panic at the last minute (thanks Royal Caribbean), I was able to pull off the proposal, which still lives vividly in my mind as if it had just happened yesterday. The moment was absolutely unforgettable and it was a magical culmination of all of the love we have for each other, manifested into a single memory.
We can’t wait to extend this magical moment with all of our loved ones at the wedding!
