Our Story

On New Year's Eve of 2022, Sadaê went to a party at Myles and Bella Arkins' house, invited along by Jane Garrett and Mary Spiegel. She arrived with two friends, expecting nothing more than a fun night surrounded by new people. At some point in the evening, their mutual friend Libby Goulart walked over with a question: “Can I be your matchmaker tonight?” Sadaê laughed and reluctantly agreed. Libby had someone in mind. She introduced Sadaê to John.

The truth is, John had noticed Sadaê the moment she walked into the room. But before he could make his way over to her, one of Sadaê's friends cornered him, and he spent the early part of the night politely trapped in that conversation, glancing across the room the whole time. As midnight approached, John finally slipped free and made his way to Sadaê, asking her about herself, and the conversation came naturally. When the clock struck twelve, the room erupted into celebration. A few moments later, Libby returned. “Sadaê… did you get your midnight kiss?” She looked at John. “No.” John smiled innocently. “Would you like one?”

She said yes. They kissed, and the entire room erupted all over again. Sadaê couldn't understand why everyone seemed so invested in two strangers kissing at midnight. Only later did she realize she had just kissed someone in front of all of his closest friends and siblings. Gina Orazietti even caught the moment in a photograph: the very first picture of them together.

Before the night ended, John asked Sadaê to get coffee the following weekend. She said yes. They exchanged numbers and, from that day forward, never stopped talking.

The weekend suddenly felt much too far away. John couldn't wait until coffee, so he invited Sadaê to see Avatar: The Way of Water instead. Their first date was wonderfully awkward: they sat a little too stiffly, laughed a little too much, and somehow left knowing they wanted another one.

The rest of the year was spent simply learning each other. John discovered a new love for golf. Sadaê began studying at the University of Rhode Island. And together they discovered the thing they both loved even more: travel.

That spring they explored Ireland. In the summer they escaped to Martha's Vineyard. And by Christmas, Sadaê was celebrating the holidays with John's family in Rhode Island. It already felt like home.

The next adventure took John halfway around the world. In January he traveled to South Africa for the very first time to meet Sadaê's family: her parents, grandparents, relatives, and lifelong friends. Together they explored Cape Town, went on safari, and John finally got to surf Jeffreys Bay.

Watching Sadaê proudly introduce him to the people and places that had shaped her life became one of his favorite memories. When it came time to leave, neither of them wanted to, so they made a promise: the following Christmas would be spent back in South Africa.

Later that year, John's career took an exciting step forward as he worked on his first feature film, Solo Mio. While he spent time filming in Italy, Sadaê flew over to meet him, and between shoot days they explored the country together. It became another unforgettable chapter of their story.

Christmas brought them back to South Africa, exactly as promised. John spent even more time with Sadaê's family, including her grandparents, who welcomed him with open arms. They shared meals, stories, more safaris, and quiet moments that made the distance between countries feel smaller than ever.

In 2025, Sadaê graduated from college. John stood beside her through every major life change: the start of her master's degree, new jobs, and more moves than either of them could count. It was a year spent building a life together more than chasing stamps in their passports.

Still, that summer found them on the road, first to Las Vegas and then up to Spokane to visit John's brother Will, his sister-in-law Angie, and his goddaughter Blake, who will be walking down the aisle ahead of them as flower girl.

Then came one of their favorite moments. At Christmas, Sadaê's family traveled to Rhode Island for the first time to meet John's family. The people they loved most finally met each other, and watching both families laugh together felt like seeing two separate worlds become one. It was the bridge they had been building all along.

Shortly after Christmas, John and Sadaê quietly began planning the next chapter. Before anything else, John asked Sadaê's parents for permission to marry her. They said yes, and gave the couple their blessing.

Then, on June 21, 2026, John asked Sadaê to marry him at Goat Island in Newport, Rhode Island. Behind them stood the Newport Bridge. It wasn't chosen because it was beautiful, although it certainly was. It was chosen because that bridge had quietly become part of their story. For years they had driven across it, countless times, between Little Compton and the University of Rhode Island just to spend a few more hours together. It connected dates. It connected ordinary Tuesdays. It connected two people slowly building a future.

And in many ways, it had come to represent something much bigger: a bridge between Rhode Island and South Africa. Between two families. Between two homes.

People often ask how someone from South Africa and someone from a small town in Rhode Island ever found each other. This is the story. And now, after years of adventures, airports, road trips, long drives, family gatherings, milestones, and memories, they're ready for the greatest chapter yet. They can't wait to celebrate it with everyone they love.