Lisa Allen
and
David Gray
Please join us for our wedding celebration on
< Our Story >
David and Lisa met in September 2011 in the basement of the oh-so-classy quintessential DC bar, Cafe Saint-Ex (named after French writer and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry*) through mutual friends. Lisa was intrigued by David's laid back personality, and let's face it, refreshing cynicism. David was immediately attracted to her smile and laugh (often caused by his refreshing cynicism) and her similarly wry sense of humor. After three months of a blossoming friendship, David finally worked up the courage to ask her out, to which she thought to herself (and out-loud) “took you long enough.” Over the next five and a half years, their love and friendship grew over their shared passions of travelling (8 countries, 18 states and counting), concerts, animals (big, small, and smaller), baseball games, horror movies, and homemade cocktails.
The engagement
After an amazing trip to Jamaica in 2014 David and Lisa decided to go back to the Caribbean in December 2016, this time to the Bahamas. At this point he knew he was going to propose (and she probably had a good idea), but the when and how were still TBD. By the second day of their vacation, he knew he was tired of not being engaged to her and decided to pop the question later that night. Even before he did, they would end up having one of the best days of their lives! They got up early and spent the whole day on a boat ride, hanging out and swimming with iguanas, pigs, stingrays, starfish, turtles, sharks, and fish of all shapes and colors. They snorkeled inside the famous Thunderball Grotto, sailed past celebrity homes/private islands, ate fresh conch salad, and drank as much Sands Beer, Bahama Mamas, and Goombay Smashes as they could (reasonably and responsibly) drink.
By the time they got back to the resort it had started pouring, so they decided to post up at the St. Francis restaurant/bar to wait out the storm. After many hours, more cocktails, and a lively political discussion with a nice British couple, the rain eased up a bit giving David the moment he’d been thinking about all day. As they headed back to their room, David took her hand and walked her straight down to the near pitch-black beach in the rain. Realizing what was happening, Lisa asked “are you really doing this now?!” to which he just smiled and nervously said “uh-huh." He told her that the only thing that could make the day any better was if she’d agree to spend the rest of her life with him. Obviously she said yes (since you’re all reading this)!
*Possibly foreshadowing a future wedding in France?
The engagement
After an amazing trip to Jamaica in 2014 David and Lisa decided to go back to the Caribbean in December 2016, this time to the Bahamas. At this point he knew he was going to propose (and she probably had a good idea), but the when and how were still TBD. By the second day of their vacation, he knew he was tired of not being engaged to her and decided to pop the question later that night. Even before he did, they would end up having one of the best days of their lives! They got up early and spent the whole day on a boat ride, hanging out and swimming with iguanas, pigs, stingrays, starfish, turtles, sharks, and fish of all shapes and colors. They snorkeled inside the famous Thunderball Grotto, sailed past celebrity homes/private islands, ate fresh conch salad, and drank as much Sands Beer, Bahama Mamas, and Goombay Smashes as they could (reasonably and responsibly) drink.
By the time they got back to the resort it had started pouring, so they decided to post up at the St. Francis restaurant/bar to wait out the storm. After many hours, more cocktails, and a lively political discussion with a nice British couple, the rain eased up a bit giving David the moment he’d been thinking about all day. As they headed back to their room, David took her hand and walked her straight down to the near pitch-black beach in the rain. Realizing what was happening, Lisa asked “are you really doing this now?!” to which he just smiled and nervously said “uh-huh." He told her that the only thing that could make the day any better was if she’d agree to spend the rest of her life with him. Obviously she said yes (since you’re all reading this)!
*Possibly foreshadowing a future wedding in France?