The Rmred Story of Lea & Zac...

On an unseasonably warm November day in 2014, Lea Lawson and Zac Vander Goot had no idea their lives were about to change forever. They were both about to begin new jobs at GEICO, and it seemed that fate brought them together to start around the same time. Lea remembers the first time she ever saw Zac because he showed up fashionably late two days after training had already started. After a few months, fate finally stepped in again and they both ended up out for drinks together amongst coworkers where they exchanged numbers and began talking every day. Lea soon found out Zac’s birthday was approaching and he had neglected to make any fun plans for the milestone, which Lea deemed unacceptable. Being from Michigan, Zac did not know many people in the area yet, so Lea took it upon herself to ensure that his birthday was celebrated appropriately. She then learned his hobbies were a mirror of her own, including hiking, camping, and kayaking, so she booked their first date at a Mongolian style yurt nestled in the mountains, where they talked at length about anything and everything, watched four movies in a row, and went hiking for his birthday. The rest, as they say… is history, and the two have been inseparable ever since.
As time passed, they quickly realized that their relationship was unlike anything else either of them had experienced in life before. They could be completely and unapologetically themselves around each other while having the comfort of knowing that the other was completely accepting of them. Honesty came so easily between the two, which allowed trust to blossom and flourish and soon they found themselves exchanging “I love yous,” atop one of their favorite mountains, Old Rag. Fast forward two years and nine months through numerous kayaking and camping trips, hiking trails, weekend trips to exciting cities, and a few family vacations they ended up booking a trip to one of Lea’s “Bucket List” cities, New Orleans. Unbeknownst to her, Zac had a very special surprise for this trip and planned everything perfectly! It was colder than usual in NOLA throughout their trip, but that did not keep them from making the most of it. They made sure to get oysters from Acme Oyster House (and Zac actually ate four whole oysters!), bought hats from a vintage haberdashery, ate alligator, duck gumbo, and braised sheep cheeks at Cochon, went to fancy restaurants as well as hole-in-the-wall bars, went to a Burlesque show, experienced Bourbon Street nightlife, saw the Mississippi River, and went to the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas. After they visited the aquarium they walked to Jackson Square and explored the beautiful park, walking amongst the beautiful, giant trees with jazz music floating through the air from the street surrounding the square. Zac said it would be a good idea to get a picture in front of the St. Louis Cathedral that lies at the head of the park. And that’s when it happened. As Lea was trying to get a good picture, she turned around and saw Zac down on one knee, where he then asked for her hand in marriage. After screaming a little and jumping up and down a whole bunch, Lea enthusiastically accepted his proposal, and off they went to Café du Monde to celebrate over coffee and beignets.
On May 11, 2019 at the Market at Grelen, they will make it official. We are so excited to be apart of their amazing love story.