Heather & Michael in Point Washington, FL

It has long been a tradition for Heather Keith to meet with family and friends for a Christmas-time chili and oyster party, but one year, there was a special addition to the menu. It turned out that her cousin Celeste was cooking up a matchmaking scheme to introduce Heather to Michael Gates, a mutual friend’s brother-in-law. “I was the only one who didn’t know about it,” remembers Heather. Their attraction that night was undeniable, and just more than a year and a half later, Michael proposed while the two were hiking near their home. The Bride Heather Keith, 28, program coordinator The Groom Michael Gates, 34, program facilitator The Date March 25 “We knew right away that we wanted to have the wedding at Eden Gardens State Park,” says Heather, a place that holds many special memories for the couple. Though they were living in Chapel Hill at the time, Heather and Michael were able to create a graceful celebration with help from the bride’s mother, aunt, and cousin Celeste.