This epic love story starts Sri Lanka.

While Marcel waited for a Reiki session to begin and Jane aggressively searched for coffee (which she ultimately found but failed to offer Marcel…sorry!), they struck up a conversation that would be the first of many. When Marcel brought Jane to the airport seven days later, it was clear to them that what they had was more than just a vacation romance. Jane and Marcel kept in touch, speaking every day, until Marcel came to visit Jane in the US a few weeks later. During a short trip to Arizona to visit the Grand Canyon, Marcel asked Jane to be his girlfriend, just in time for the world to shut down because of the pandemic.

For four months they made the best of their new long-distance lockdown relationship, with long phone calls, online puzzling, virtual tango lessons and (believe it-or-not) hand-written letters. Thanks to a loophole that they discovered, Jane and Marcel eventually finagled their way to Serbia to reunite in person. After a vibrant experience in Eastern Europe, where they made new friends and explored new places, they returned to New York, where they spent the entire summer enjoying life together as a couple.

When Marcel returned to Germany for work later that fall, Jane traveled as much as possible to see him – nearly exhausting her Schengen Visa and ultimately achieving Lufthansa frequent flyer status. After trips together to Spain, Belgium, France, and back to Serbia, Marcel hijacked a 4-year old’s birthday party at restaurant in Montenegro, and asked Jane to marry him on October 12, 2021, the day between their 33rd birthdays.

On February 28th 2022, Jane and Marcel finally could marry each other. They kept it very simple with a lakeside elopement in Sloatsburg New York. After an intimate ceremony, followed by hot coco (an essential for winter weddings), they had a very wholesome reception at Jane mother’s house.

The day stands as a true testament that love can find you anywhere at anytime!