Cynthia & Derek in Cleveland, OH

Cynthia and Derek met while working together at a Boston restaurant, but coincidence (or more like two degrees of separation) made them wonder if their run-in was destined. Cynthia, grew up in Cleveland and Derek, was born in Cleveland but grew up in Syracuse, New York. And it turned out that Cynthia’s roommate in Boston had Derek’s mother as a preschool teacher! After striking up a friendship, the two soon became romantically involved. The Bride Cynthia Kruis, athletic trainer The Groom Derek Kelder, wine and liquor sales rep The Date June 4 Three years later, Cynthia and Derek were chatting after a dinner in Boston’s lovely North End. Cynthia complained that she didn’t want to go home for the holidays without being engaged. Derek replied, “Well, we’ve been through good times and bad, sickness and health, so I guess all that’s left is ‘as long as we both shall live.’ Will you be my wife?” Cynthia turned to see Derek down on one knee. “I was in shock!” she remembers. “I had seen it coming probably 20 times that night, but he still managed to catch me off guard for that split second.”