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Andrew Loewer and Kelly Georgens&#8217;s love story reads like it was ripped from the pages of a romantic comedy.The couple met in June 2010 at Taste of the South, an annual black-tie charity event in Washington. Andrew&#8217;s roommate, Alex, had extra tickets to the gala and decided it would be an opportunity to set up Andrew with his co-worker, Leslie.For cover, Leslie invited Kelly, who had been a sorority sister in college, to act as her wing woman. Kelly initially declined, but was persuaded by her friend to reconsider hours before the event started.&#8220;There&#8217;s an open bar and free food. What could possibly go wrong?&#8221; Leslie told her. &#8220;Whatever happens, it will be a good time.&#8221;Leslie was right. Turns out, Kelly had a very good time and developed a quick rapport with Andrew.Kelly Georgens and Andrew Loewer. (K. Thompson Photography )As the night progressed, the setup quickly unraveled (much like the famous double-date scene from Rob Reiner&#8217;s &#8216;When Harry Met Sally&#8217;) and the ladies decided to switch dates.Kelly and Andrew wound up spending the evening together, exploring the D.C. Armory and collecting food and freebies. They ended the night with a kiss in front of the Stadium-Armory Metro station and made plans for a date at Founding Farmers.To their delight, romantic sparks continued to fly over dinner and from that point on, things progressed swiftly.By October, they were planning trips together and making family introductions.But their relationship came to a halt in September 2012, when the topic of moving in together was broached. Andrew was ready to take their relationship to the next level, but Kelly was not. At 25, she began to question if she had met Andrew too soon.&#8220;Neither of us really knew what love was supposed to feel like,&#8221; said Andrew, a 29-year-old manager at the consulting firm Avalere Health. &#8220;We would often joke about how the timing wasn&#8217;t right, but it was just too good to pass up.&#8221;Panicking, Kelly ended the relationship, just months before the trip to Thailand they had planned together. &#8220;At that point in our lives, we had zero experience with love,&#8221; she said. &#8220;We were young and not prepared for it.&#8221;&#8220;In life, you don&#8217;t typically get to have it all, but I feel like we do,&#8221; said Loewer. (K. Thompson Photography )Both felt lost and heartbroken over the breakup. Andrew found solace in travel and left on two separate excursions to India and Thailand (using the ticket they&#8217;d already purchased) to clear his head. &#8220;It kicked off a period of personal growth for me and I got comfortable with myself in a way I had never really forced myself to do,&#8221; he reflected.Kelly took up art and running, and began seeing other people. Date after date, however, she began to regret her decision.But, like every good rom-com, there were second thoughts and an unexpected plot twist.After nearly a year of silence, Kelly and Andrew reunited at Alex and Leslie&#8217;s wedding. &#8220;I was so fixated on seeing her,&#8221; Andrew admits. &#8220;Weeks leading up to it, I kept thinking, &#8216;I shouldn&#8217;t care!&#8217; but I couldn&#8217;t stop thinking about it.&#8221;They reconnected briefly at the wedding and right away, old feelings were rekindled. Although Kelly had come with a date, she soon realized that she was still in love with Andrew. &#8220;Our chemistry was unparalleled and unlike anything I had ever experienced with anybody,&#8221; says the 29-year-old program officer at State Department.Weeks after the wedding, she asked Andrew for drinks under the false pretense that she was gathering information on Cornell University for her college-bound brother.The casual cocktail segued into a nearly three-hour conversation. &#8220;At the end of the night, he walked me home and I asked him, &#8216;Do you want to hang out again?&#8217; &#8221; Kelly recalled. &#8220;He said, &#8216;That&#8217;s kind of a big question.&#8217; &#8221;She asked him to think it over before providing an answer. A few days later, he arrived at the gate of her townhouse with a beautiful pink lily and a long, handwritten letter, which described his deep and unwavering feelings for her.&#8220;I realized the opportunity was too good to pass up &#8230; and I couldn&#8217;t put my toe in the water,&#8221; said Andrew. &#8220;I had to dive in.&#8221;Kelly was also ready. &#8220;Sometimes, you have to just put yourself out there, take chances, risk getting hurt and fight for something when it&#8217;s worth it.&#8221; In the end, she says, &#8220;we both really put ourselves out there.&#8221;There were moments when their relationship could have taken a different course, but their patience and persistence helped love triumph, and in August 2015, Kelly moved into Andrew&#8217;s rowhouse on Capitol Hill.In early 2016, Andrew secretly booked a vacation to New Orleans over Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend.He filled the calendar with false plans, to throw Kelly off, and sprung the surprise on her three days before their vacation. Shocked and distracted by the travel news, Andrew was able to surprise her yet again the night before their romantic getaway.When Kelly arrived home from work, she discovered the dining room had been decorated in white Christmas lights, bouquets of sunflowers and hanging photographs. Andrew, donning a suit, got down on one knee and proposed. Through fits of happy sobs, she said yes.On Nov. 19, the couple exchanged personalized vows at St. Paul&#8217;s Memorial Church in downtown Charlottesville. &#8220;I just kept looking at him, thinking &#8216;I could not be happier,&#8217;&#8221; said Kelly.After the ceremony, they celebrated with 110 friends at Pippin Hill Farm and Vineyards. A bluegrass band played during the cocktail hour and vintage china, scouted by the bride at thrift stores and antique shops, was used as wedding decor.For their first dance, the couple danced to Jason Mraz&#8217;s song &#8220;I Won&#8217;t Give Up.&#8221;&#8220;I won&#8217;t give up on us, even if the skies get rough.I&#8217;m giving you all my love, I&#8217;m still looking up.&#8221;&#8220;I love our journey,&#8221; said Kelly, after the wedding. &#8220;It was a little bit outside the norm and it wasn&#8217;t easy, but it&#8217;s my favorite story.&#8221;&#8220;In life, you don&#8217;t typically get to have it all,&#8221; Andrew added, &#8220;but I feel like we do.&#8221;<style>
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<div class="neCaption">Kelly Georgens and Andrew Loewer were married Nov. 19 at St. Paul&#8217;s Memorial Church in Charlottesville. (K. Thompson Photography via The Washington Post) </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/web1_Wedding-Story-WaPo.jpg</photo0><caption0>Kelly Georgens and Andrew Loewer were married Nov. 19 at St. Paul&#8217;s Memorial Church in Charlottesville. (K. Thompson Photography via The Washington Post) </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Megan McDonoughThe Washington Post</bylineMeta></div>

A failed double date leads to romance, a break-up and two weddings