India House: New York, NY: Rachel & Brian's Wedding

It was quite possibly the coldest night of the year, the middle of the polar vortex during the winter of 2013. Rachel could have opted to go home to the warmth of her apartment but instead followed her friend’s suggestion of going to a nearby pub after work to get a few drinks. The normally very welcoming Stone Street was frigid and blustery that evening, but Ulysses was bright and warm, albeit not particularly crowded. It seemed as though most other New Yorkers had decided to bundle up and head home.

By chance, Brian decided to head into that very same pub for a pint and a bit of warmth that evening after a change of plans had him staying in New York a bit longer than he expected on his way up to Boston. He spotted Rachel across the room and went over to start a conversation, charming Rachel with his wit, Irish brogue, and smile. Shortly after that evening, Brian would call his brother back in Ireland and tell him definitively, “I’ve found the one.”

Rachel and Brian returned to to Stone Street, just around the corner from the place they would celebrate their wedding (a spot they had chosen intentionally because of the significance of it’s location), this summer shortly after they exchanged vows in one of New York City's most historic (and beautiful) churches. They walked hand-in-hand over the cobblestones, the warm August air decidedly more welcoming than the bitter cold of the night they had met.

They stopped in front of Ulysses. There, they were greeted by cheers from the patrons enjoying the outdoor cafes, none of whom had actually been there on the fateful night but all of whom know there is only one response when you see a couple so clearly in love: you cheer them on.