“An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break.”
Our Story
Joseph and Stephanie first met in middle school, but it wasn’t until high school that their friendship truly began.
On the last day of sophomore year, Joseph missed his bus, and Stephanie was waiting for her mom to pick her up.
After some encouragement from a classmate, Joseph worked up the nerve to approach Stephanie, he made small talk, and asked for her number.
That summer, they became inseparable. Nearly every day was spent hanging out at Joseph’s house: swimming in the pool and playing NBA 2K11 on Xbox.
But when the summer ended, Stephanie moved away, and the two lost touch.
Years later, a small twist of fate brought their families together again.
Stephanie’s mom began dating Delvis, a member of a motorcycle group that Joseph’s dad, Julio, also belonged to.
Stephanie often went to the bike events and would run into Julio, always asking how Joseph and the family were doing.
In 2018, tragedy unfortunately struck when Joseph’s dad, Julio, passed away from cancer.
His funeral was the first time Joseph and Stephanie had seen each other in seven years.
They both later admitted they found one another attractive that day, but of course, nothing came of it… yet.
Fast forward to April 2020 — Joseph added Stephanie on Snapchat and messaged her:
“How's Arizona treating you? My mom said you moved there with your boyfriend.”
(A bold-faced lie — Karen never said that. Joseph was just trying to find out if Stephanie was single.)
From that moment on, they talked nonstop, day and night.
That summer, Stephanie returned to New Jersey, and the two reconnected in person.
Everything came so natural between the two, and they made it official on August 15, 2020.
But Stephanie made it clear: her life was now in Arizona.
That didn’t faze Joseph one bit.
He came to visit her in November 2020, and just three days into the trip, he received a job offer.
He flew back to New Jersey, packed up his life, and by January 2021, he had moved to Arizona.
They've been together ever since.
The Engagement
In July 2024, Joseph secretly bought a ring with a little help and guidance from Stephanie’s best friend, Melissa. And with the help of their dear friends, Anne and Laura, he began planning a unique proposal.
In November of that same year, they traveled to Thailand to celebrate Stephanie’s 30th birthday — a lifelong destination of Stephanie’s. One item on the itinerary was visiting Chai Lai Orchid, an elephant sanctuary.
They arrived on a rainy afternoon and joined the elephants for happy hour. Out of over 20 elephants at the sanctuary, Stephanie was drawn to one in particular: Mae Sok Tong. Despite the weather and being incredibly sick, she spent most of the evening feeding and bonding with this particular elephant.
The next morning, they were scheduled for “Breakfast with the Elephants.” Stephanie got ready and waited in the common area as other huts began greeting their elephants. Growing impatient, she asked Joe, “When is ours coming?” He simply smiled and said, “You’ll know which one is ours.”
Moments later, the same elephant — Mae Son Tong — came walking up the path, this time holding a sign that read: “Will you marry me?”
Joe took Stephanie’s hand, led her toward Mae Son Tong, and got down on one knee.
It was cold. It was rainy. She was sick.
But it was perfect.
There are over 20 elephants at Chai Lai Orchid. The fact that the one elephant Stephanie connected with the night before returned for the proposal wasn't a coincidence and it wasn’t planned… it was a quiet, magical reminder that the universe always knows.
