No, we’re not spies, and we certainly don’t look like Branjelina. But we sure do have a meet-cute story to share.
In 1999 Katie was working at a bank in Columbus, Ohio and Ben was working at a Pharmaceutical company in Delray Beach, Florida…1200 miles apart. But they were destined to someday spend the rest of their lives together, they just didn’t know it yet. One July afternoon, Ben flew to Columbus to help his parents move down to Florida. His mom was using Katie’s bank as the mortgage company since they had branches in both Ohio and Florida. She dragged him into the bank one day and introduced the 2 of them. It was love at first site, that’s for sure. Katie’s stomach was in knots and her hands were shaking so badly she could barely write. Yep, she just met her man! Wonder what her boyfriend at the time thought? LOL Well, off Ben went back to Florida to live his life in the sun while Katie froze her butt off year after year. Through the years, Ben’s mom and Katie kept in touch, and got along great! She always said to Katie that if she ever made it to the Boca Raton area to give her a call! Three years later and that’s just what she did. The winters were just too much, oh and that boyfriend didn’t work out, so a position in the bank in Florida came open and off she transferred! Out to lunch they went, then off to do some shopping after work that evening. Conveniently, they were right around the corner from Ben’s house and it was dinner time! Off we all went for dinner. As soon as Katie walked into the Boca Ale House and saw Ben, the butterflies immediately came back! She guzzled her first beer to settle the nerves, and that was all it took for Ben. A girl from Ohio that can drink beer, yes it was destiny! That was Tuesday. Their first official date (without parental supervision or intervention!!!) was the following Sunday, August 4, 2002. 10 months later, June 4, 2003 they got married on the Island of Roatan in Honduras! And the rest, as they say, is history. Meet cute, right? Well, read on for even cuter….
On that first date at Banana Boat in Boynton Beach, they talked about their “dream jobs”. Katie had always wanted to be a photographer, but especially on one of those snorkel booze cruise catamarans! She couldn’t imagine a better life than being a photographer, and doing it from a sailboat! Well, that sure peaked Ben’s interest as his dream job was to not work but sail around the world on a catamaran. He’d settle for being a dive master if he had to work, but would prefer being an underwater photographer – diving and photographing – two of his favorite things! So here we have two people sharing their dreams of living the same life someday. Yes, destiny it was!
Now years after that first date, and here they are living that dream. Building a photography business together and living on a catamaran sailboat. Someday the snorkel booze cruises will come, and eventually even the sailing around the world. In the meantime, these two love birds are attached at the hip and having the time of their lives photographing weddings. Through the ups and the downs, they’ve always had each other…and sailing! 