Rich & Emily
May 30, 2015

Stories
They Meet
The story begins at a community group gathering. Rich's group was combined into the group that Emily was already in. Rich remembers meeting Emily for the first time and not having any romantic thoughts about her as he was too busy talking to his friend Matt.
Eventually the two got to hang out with each other in more social events with friends. Rich started to think about Emily romantically one evening after a group saw Iron Man. Rich didn't see the movie as he already saw it for a morale event at work but still wanted to meet up with friends that night. They all hung out at a place called Clever Bottle. Rich saw something special about Emily as she sat in the corner singing a Beatles song to herself while enjoying the evening.
First Date
Rich finally decided to ask Emily out. The couple would have to wait a bit as Emily was going on vacation that weekend. When she returned, Rich made the mistake of texting her if she was free this week. Even though he texted instead of calling, Emily said yes and the couple met up for a late dinner on a Thursday evening before Rich went off on his vacation.
The two had dinner at Barrio. The date went ok...no major catastrophes but Rich had a feeling that he didn't knock it out of the park. Rich drove Emily home and then went on to vacation in Chicago where he talked his sister's ear off about this girl in Seattle.
First Date (Take 2)
So after the first date, Rich reached out to Emily to try a second. Emily wasn't sure about Rich yet so she suggested they hang out as friends for a bit.
Rich looked for ways to invite Emily to events and after a few times of hanging out with groups, Emily knew she had to find a way to show Rich she was interested romantically again.
Luckily for her, Rich was still interested in her so it didn't take much convincing. On a night out on the town, Emily asked Rich if he wanted to check out the Solstice Festival in Fremont the next day. Rich had no plans so he said sure. Emily thought it would be a group thing and invited others but Rich was the only one that showed up.
The two met in Belltown by the giant popsicle to take a bus to the fair. Rich knew she was special as she offered to bring iced coffee to enjoy on the ride.
When they arrived at the fair, they grabbed some food and had some nice conversations as they sat by the lake. After lunch, they took in some of the sights of the fair and ended up listening to a band as they missed the parade.
The time finally came for the two to end the day as Rich had a birthday party to get to and Emily had a baby shower to attend. They took the bus back to Belltown, only to meet the next day for coffee and more conversation.
They Fall in Love
Rich and Emily continued to hang out with each other often. They both had so much in common and hit it off pretty well; however, there were some awkward moments in the beginning such as their first kiss or the parting high five after.
Despite the awkwardness, the couple continued to see each other and go on more adventures. Some of their adventures led them off to different places. At one point Rich was in Paris on business and Emily was in Turkey on vacation. Both missed each other and were able to communicate over Skype and email, but both knew that it was time for the next step in their relationship.
When they returned from overseas, they had a nice dinner at Rich's place. After dinner, Rich took Emily out on his balcony and said that he loved her. She reciprocated in a lovely moment. The couple continued their adventures together growing more in love as the days went on.
Proposal
It all started with an S+ (calendar invite for those that don't work at Microsoft) sent from Rich to Emily for September 27, 2014 aptly named Surprise Day!. Rich then asked Emily a whole bunch of random questions including such gems as favorite Michael Jackson song to keep her on her toes and guessing as to what the surprise would be.
The day finally came and Rich picked up Emily and they proceeded to the first surprise...Rich rented an electric boat for just the two of them to cruise Lake Union.
The two of them listened to some music and cruised around the lake enjoying a beautiful early fall day in Seattle while building an appetite for the awesome picnic lunch that Rich had brought aboard. Rich captained the vessel well and eventually they made it to a region of the lake by Fremont, where first date take 2 happened.
Rich told Emily that this would be a good place for a picnic and tried to park the boat. It is a busy shipping channel so Rich had to stop his speech midway through so the boat did not hit the shore as it was tousled about by other vessel's wake. Eventually, Rich completed his speech and got down on one knee and handed Emily a photo strip of Will Smith, a picture of Emily, a picture of a bride and groom, and finally a picture of Rich. Emily was a bit confused by it at first but eventually figured it out and said yes. Rich then piloted the vessel to a safer location for lunch.
The couple then went back to Rich's place to prepare for the next surprise. They walked to a jewelry store that Rich preselected and they proceeded to pick out a ring for Emily.
Ring shopping is tough work and makes a person hungry so they both got ready for the last surprise...dinner at Canlis, an amazing restaurant in Seattle. The couple had the chef's tasting menu and despite the first course making Rich feel a little off, they enjoyed the evening and each other's company at a amazing location.
Events
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May 30
2015
May 30
2015
5:00 pm
TO 5:30 pm
TO 5:30 pm
Sat
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May 30
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5:30 pm
TO 6:30 pm
TO 6:30 pm
Sat
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May 30
2015
6:30 pm
TO 11:00 pm
TO 11:00 pm
Key People
The Women

Mrs. Erin Chikatulah
Matron of Honor (Bride's Sister)
Erin is Emily's older sister by two years, a beautiful wife and sweet mother to two boys. Often called "twins" (the matching outfits when they were younger didn't help!), Erin has been there since the beginning, from sharing a room, to playing Barbies, to learning hair and makeup tricks, to deep conversations about life and boys. :) Emily truly treasures Erin's presence at this big life event (and all her help and advice in planning it!).

Ms. Hilarie Johnson
Bridesmaid (Bride's BFF)
Hilarie and Emily joke that they are "Craigslist friends". They met when Emily was in need of an additional housemate and quickly became friends because they had so many things in common. Memories over the years include countless nights out, adventurous trips, arguments and deep conversations, binge-watching "Fashion Police", "The Soup", and "Jeopardy", belting out N'Sync songs a cappella, and being able to talk to Hilarie about anything (she gives the best advice!). Emily considers Hilarie one of her best friends. Even though they live far apart, when they get to see each other it's as if no time passed. This party would not be complete without you, HJ!!

Dr. Melissa Lazar
Bridesmaid (Groom's sister)
Emily met Melissa in the summer of 2014 when Rich and Emily took a trip out to the east coast. Melissa was kind enough to show them all the BEST spots in Philadelphia, including Federal Donut (best donuts ever) and Jim's (best cheesesteak ever). Emily and Melissa share a love of cooking and cooking shows. Emily is looking forward to getting to know Melissa even better as sister-in-laws!
The Men

Mr. Nathan Mellenthien
Best Man (Groom's BFF)
Rich met Nate one September afternoon as they were both moving into dorms at college. Rich and Nate quickly became friends and have had all sorts of crazy adventures through the years. Rich is grateful that Nate will be standing next to him on this special day.

Mr. Hitesh Jawa
Groomsman (Groom's BFF too)
Rich met Hitesh while working at Microsoft as they shared an office. One day Rich asked Hitesh to go to a University of Washington football game and the two quickly became good friends. Whether driving the "death trap" Audi in the early days or enjoying days in Leavenworth recently, Rich could also count on Hitesh for an adventure and an awkward moment or two. Rich is happy that "Happy" will be able to participate on this special day.

Mr. Jason Epp
Groomsman (Bride's Brother)
Rich met Jason not that long ago when Emily invited Rich back to meet her family for Thanksgiving last year. Rich felt that he was able to easily connect with Jason and Rich looks forward knowing Jason better as the years go on. Rich is happy that Jason is able to be a part of the special day.
The Little People

Miss Anya Jawa
Flower Girl (Hitesh's Daughter)
Rich has know Anya since the day she was born, literally. "Rich uncle" and Anya have had some good adventures; however, Anya still said no to being the flower girl when asked. Rich thinks it might be due to the scariness of his truck's VROOM VROOM and is hopeful she will come around to accepting the position of flower girl after some bribes of candy.

Mr. Jelani Chikatulah
Ring Bearer (Bride's Nephew)
Jelani will be 3 when he takes up his position as ringbearer! Jelani loves playing the drums (anything can be a drum), anything that can be "turn on" (cars/planes/Rich's motorcycle), and teaching his little brother, Tarik, new things. We can't wait for Jelani to steal the show with his cuteness. :)
The Parents

Mr. Reginald Epp
Father of the Bride
Emily's father has been an incredible pillar of support throughout her life. She remembers as a kid thinking her Dad was the strongest man in the world and that he could fix anything! She is truly blessed that she has never had trouble picturing God as a father-like figure as her father exhibited such godly characteristics and led his family faithfully over the years.

Mrs. Mary Epp
Mother of the Bride
Emily's mother has such a deep caring and servant-like heart. She loves providing for her family and friends, through food and especially music! Emily has learned so much from her mother, from how to chop different vegetables, to countless Bible and silly songs. Emily is grateful that she had such an amazing mother to teach her about Jesus and love her tirelessly!

Dr. Richard Lazar
Father of the Groom
Rich fondly remembers the great road trips with his father even though Rich was forced to listen to medical conferences on tape. Rich is honored to have such a great man as his father is thankful for the example that he set for what a father and husband should be.

Mrs. Mary Ann Lazar
Mother of the Groom
Rich remembers the great love and care that his mother showed in raising his sister and himself. She was tough at times but it helped mold Rich into the man he is today. Rich is honored to have such a great mother.
The Officiant

Boyd Chikatulah
Officiant-Bride's Brother-in-law
Originally from Zambia, Boyd joined the Epp family in 2009 (Erin and Boyd met on an African mission trip). Boyd has truly enriched the family with his humor and his huge heart for Jesus and people. Emily was very happy when Boyd “approved” of Rich after the first weekend they met. Boyd has been very involved in Rich and Emily’s relationship so far, and they are ecstatic that he is performing the ceremony! In Boyd’s words, here is why he became a minister: “I felt the call to ministry at a young age. My passion is to empower people with the grace, word and love of Jesus. I have been honored to pastor a church, and also be involved in raising up others as disciples. In Idaho, I oversee the religious activities in all prisons. I am blessed to have this honor.”
Seattle, WA
Gifts