Sara and Kevin met at an off-campus house at the University of Maryland, College Park, when both attended the same party. Sara saw Kevin walk through the door, and the attraction was instant; they talked all evening, and shared their first kiss that night. That chance encounter led to hours-long phone conversations and trips to see each other on the weekends (Sara was living in Pennsylvania and Kevin in Maryland). Eventually, Sara moved to Maryland to pursue a graduate degree.
The pair enjoyed hiking, running, playing video games, and attending wine tastings together. What started off as nights of $6 bottles and a wheel of Brie cheese turned into weekends away at bed-and-breakfasts, tours of Virginia wineries, and a trip to Napa Valley in March 2013.
During that trip, Kevin took Sara on a private tour of Palmaz Winery. They were the only guests in the facility, and after Kevin brought Sara to the roof of the 17-story building, he got down on one knee. After she said yes, the couple spent the rest of the day being chauffeured around Napa to various wineries. The wine theme carried over to their wedding at Running Hare Vineyard in August 2014. During the reception, they recited the old English toast: “May your love be like wine, growing stronger as it grows older.”