The Bride:
Lorraine, the daughter of John and Peggy Hoff, grew up in the Rochester suburb of Greece on Elmgrove Road with her sister, Debbie and brother, Malcolm. She graduated from Greece Athena and Rochester Institute of Technology, with a B.S. in Business and Marketing. She moved to Richmond, VA in 1990 where, after a brief stint in sales for Pitney Bowes, she took up graphic design. In addition to running Custom Communications, her own graphic design firm, Lorraine is also an award-winning mosaic artist. She keeps a studio at Art Works in downtown Richmond, from which she creates and sells mosaic furniture, decorative items and accessories, as well as commissions for installations in Richmond-area homes and businesses.
The Groom:
Mark is the third son of Gerald and Mary Helen Meade. He was raised in a house full of family, in a neighborhood full of friends, several miles north of Scottsville. He graduated from Wheatland Chili, and went to the University of Dayton and then to DePaul University, where he studied economics, English, and business administration. He has lived in Livonia, Henrietta, Orlando, and several of the Chicago suburbs, but eventually made his way to Richmond after starting a multi-media marketing company. He now works as Vice President and Director of Internet Projects for Interseps. He is a competitive runner and an automotive enthusiast, and serves as an officer in his local Z car club.
How They Met:
Lorraine and Mark met on August 13th, 2007, when he went to play Scrabble with a group that she organizes. Although they did not have an opportunity to play each other that first meeting, they did catch each other's eye. Over time, they realized that they were connected by more than their common interest in word games.
They discovered early on that both hail from Rochester, and then that their mothers grew up just a few blocks apart, in that city's 19th Ward. Their fathers both rose through the military ranks, and both have an affinity for wood. Having come into the world at the same time and place, and in similar socio-economic environments, it stands to reason that Mark and Lorraine would have many things in common. But as their list of shared historical touchstones, family values and experiences grew, they began to sense an almost eerie familiarity with each other -- as if their lives have been on parallel tracks:
- Her family had a place on the east side of Conesus Lake, as did his, so both have fond memories of Long Point Park and stopping for ice cream at the Annis Dairy in Avon.
- His brother is a gearhead and reformed motorcycle enthusiast, as is hers.
- Her mother is an avid gardener, as is his.
- His sister and brother-in-law are part of the same investment club as her parents.
- His office is located next door to the office where she worked for five years.
- She works with Mac computers in a graphics-oriented profession, as does he. They even have some of the same clients!
- Their tastes and takes on music, movies, games, stories, news, politics, economics and popular culture mirror each other.
- And, perhaps most surprisingly, both Lorraine and Mark have remained unmarried while looking for the right life partner.
The Proposal:
The couple traveled to Rochester to celebrate Thanksgiving 2008 with both the Meade and the Hoff families. Thanksgiving is the holiday when, by tradition, the Meade family converges from all points into one. For those of you who don't know, Mark comes from a very large family. He is the seventh of eight children and his immediate family has grown to 31 people, nieces and nephews included.
Everyone was at the home of the Gerlachs (Mark's sister, Maggie, and brother-in-law, Doug) for Thanksgiving dinner. After the meal, Lorraine offered to take a family photograph. While the group was assembling, Mark whispered in her ear, "Let's make sure you are in the family photo, too."
When she turned around, Mark was on bended knee with a beautiful diamond ring, and a proposal! There were applause and tears of joy...it was a surprise to everyone (especially Lorraine)! The only other person who knew of Mark's plan was Lorraine's father, who he had spoken with earlier that day. He kept the secret all day, too!
