On January 22, 2021, Rachel was at her best friend Angie’s house, scrolling through Instagram, when she spotted a friend’s story with birthday wishes and photos of the most beautiful woman she’d ever seen. Intrigued, she messaged her friend (also named Rachel) and asked, “Who’s that?!”


Her friend responded, “Katelyn Gadzia! You know her—you went to school with her in Tehachapi!” Rachel insisted she didn’t, but soon enough, she received a friend request from Katelyn. That one simple request sparked everything. They started DMing, which quickly turned into FaceTiming, texting, and talking every day.


Just a few weeks later, they met for the first time in person at a Galentine’s Day dinner at Rachel’s house with friends Rachel, Ash, Angie, and Garrett. Both were nervous but inseparable, and from that night on, Rachel and Katelyn were a thing—even though neither planned on getting “boo’d up.” They spent the next year making long-distance work, traveling between Long Beach and San Jose whenever they could.


A little over a year later, they moved in together in Long Beach, blending families and sharing the same circle of friends from their childhood days. Since then, they’ve continued to fall deeper in love, building a beautiful life together.

In February 2024, they took their first trip to the Big Island of Hawaii. Rachel had secretly been carrying a beautiful diamond ring for four days, nervously searching for the perfect moment to propose.

After a day of swimming in the ocean, whale watching, and texting with her sister Chelsea, Katelyn was relaxing and enjoying the view. As the last bit of pink lit up the sky during sunset, Rachel asked to stay a little longer. Then, with her heart racing, Rachel dropped to one knee and asked the question of a lifetime.

Katelyn had never been more surprised—but her answer was a resounding yes! And here we are, ready to celebrate the next chapter of our love story and can’t wait to say “I do” in Kauai!