With the rise of platforms such as Tinder and Hinge, online dating has gained an endless amount of popularity in recent years. According to online dating statistics from 2022, 42 percent of online dating users aim for marriage, but only about 13 percent end up engaged or married from a dating platform. Introductions through family or friends are still the most common way people meet their forever partner (Pew Research Center). This statistic is evident in the teachers of Chamblee. Despite this, each had their own circumstance special to them.

For example, Deondrick Mack met his husband for the first time through a mutual friend, but at his husband’s birthday party. 

“I met [my husband] on his birthday. So, the mutual friend told me that he was going to his birthday party, and asked me if I wanted to come. So when I went, that’s where I met the person that would soon be my husband. But at that time, he was in a relationship. So we were cordial and everything, but that was really it,” said Mack. 

Because it was his husband’s birthday, Mack had a bizarre first impression of him.

“[I thought he was] crazy. Since it was his birthday, he was a little drunk. He was moving all over the place. So, when we did talk, it was a [quick hey] before he disappeared again,” said Mack. 

It was not until Mack found his husband’s social media that the start of their relationship truly began. 

“After the party, I didn’t really see him for a long time. [One day], I added him on social media, and then we started talking again. Then, that led to us dating, and eventually getting married,” said Mack. 

At their wedding, the most special part for Mack was seeing all of their friends and family cheering for them. 

“For me, it was when we walked into the reception, and just saw everybody in the room screaming for us. It made me want to cry because of all the emotions and the reveal of the reception, so that definitely was my favorite part [of my wedding],” said Mack. 

Irvin Wardlow also met his partner through mutual friends but started talking to her after they signed up for ballroom dance classes together.

“I asked her what she thought about taking ballroom dance classes, and she was totally shocked. I told her to give me a call when [she decided]. So, she went home and called all of her friends, who told her to […] ‘go for it.’ We ended up taking two rounds of ballroom dance classes, and that gets awkward because most people who take ballroom classes are getting ready for the first dance at their wedding. But, she was dating somebody from Florida, and I was dating somebody else too,” said Wardlow. 

When both were no longer with their respective partners, they went on a first date that did not go exactly as planned. 

“When I actually asked her on a date, we went to the Lefont Tara, which is a cinema. But, we never saw the movie because we got so caught up in talking. Of course, I had a six-pack of beer in the car, so we just ended up talking the whole time in the parking lot. So, that is how we really got to know each other, and we started dating from there,” said Wardlow. 

As for Mattie Kaspar, she met her husband, Kevin, through a mutual friend in college. Her family really liked him, even from the start. 

“He was extremely kind, polite, and funny. The kids I would babysit, who are like a second family to me, thought he was British because he didn’t have a country accent or southern drawl,” said Kaspar. 

Their engagement story took place on a cruise ship and had some silliness to it. 

“We were all taking those cheesy, professional family photos. The photographer had us doing these absurd poses and then Kevin dropped to his knee with the ring, and asked, “Will you marry me?”. I thought it was a joke-pose, so I asked if he was serious several times before I saw the ring,” said Kaspar. 

While it did rain on the morning of their outdoor wedding, it cleared up in time for their special day which had lots of love from their family. 

“[The rain] made the early May day nicer actually. The most special part of our wedding was the entire day—it went really well and it was fun celebrating with everyone we made it happen. It was very much a family affair. It was at my great-aunt’s farm, my uncle officiated, my cousin did the flower arrangements, and all my aunts helped decorate and prepare the food. It was lovely.”

Kathryn Zuehlke is another teacher that met their partner through a mutual friend, but because her friend bailed on their plans.

“It was New Year’s Eve of 2000. I had tickets to go see a comedy act with my friend, who is a nurse, and she had to work at like 7 am on New Year’s Day. So, when we went to the comedy club, my friend [wanted to leave and go to bed early], but said that me and Roland, [my future husband], could go out. I wasn’t expecting it, and I didn’t know the guy,” said Zuehlke. 

They ended up going out for a drink afterward, but Zuehlke was not having the best night. 

“Meanwhile, I was coming down with the flu. So, I was getting sicker and sicker by the hour. By midnight, I was feverish, chilled, and not feeling so good. He drove me to my car because I had parked it at his apartment complex, and then I drove home. By the time I got home, I hit a 104-degree fever and crawled into bed with my electric blanket set on full blast. It was pretty miserable, so that was our first [meet],” said Zuehlke.

While their night at the comedy club could be considered a first date, their first actual date was much more traditional. 

“We met up a couple of other times, but our first real date was actually April Fool’s Day of 2000. We went to Park fest at Piedmont Park and went out for dinner and a movie. The rest is history,” said Zuehlke.

The two have been married for 20 years ever since, but not everything at their wedding was perfect. 

“My husband is Swiss, and his sister was going to be the organist at our wedding. She was flying in from Switzerland with her family, and their plane got delayed. So, my husband went down to the airport to pick them up. It was rush hour on a Friday, but the rehearsal was up in Alpharetta. So, my husband missed our rehearsal, and I had to practice getting married to my brother-in-law,” said Zuehlke. 

Laura Lennard, a Language Arts teacher at Chamblee, met her husband at her friend’s birthday party.

“My friend from high school and his best friend from high school started dating in their first year of college. So, I was at [my friend’s] house to hang out for her birthday, and he was there to support his friend,” said Lennard.

Lennard first noticed his wit and humor. 

“I thought he was really funny, which is something that I’ve always been attracted to. He was witty, so when I made a joke, he [could] quickly make a joke back. That is always something that piques my interest, and he [was] cute, but his humor is what got me first,” said Lennard. 

She knew she wanted to marry him early on, despite them being long-distance. 

“He was going to Georgia Tech, and I was going to Ohio State. We talked on the phone all the time, and like a month in we were having a conversation about how we envisioned life to be when we were older with our respective families. We lined up on so many big things and values that something in my head clicked [that it will be him]. He told me that it took him longer, but it was still fairly early [for him to realize I was his person],” said Lennard.

For Valentine’s day, they celebrate in a plethora of ways. 

“We [celebrate Valentine’s day]  in various forms, like a really cheesy or really low key. Right now, we have two small kids at home, so it is not anything super crazy at our house. We like to have a date night after the kids go to bed, so we’ll make a nicer dinner that we can just eat the two of us. Then, we will maybe watch a movie, play a board game, or something that just lets us interact a little bit more than a normal weeknight,” said Lennard.

Kelly Adam is one of the only teachers that was introduced to her husband through family, not a friend.

“My husband was my brother’s neighbor in the apartment complex that they lived in, and my brother introduced us,” said Adam.

His kindness is what stood out to her at their first encounter. 

“At first, he was super nice. I was a little worried because I didn’t look my best, as I was helping my brother clean his very messy apartment. But, he was just so kind. [He asked me to go to brunch with him], and we have been together ever since,” said Adam. 

She could tell she wanted to marry him after a short time. 

“Within just a few weeks, I thought ‘I want to marry this guy.’ He treats me better than I treat myself,” said Adam. 

Whether or not you have a Valentine this year, there is still plenty of time to meet your perfect pair. It can be through a mutual friend like a lot of teachers at Chamblee or just fate. However, always make sure your number one priority is you.

“Know who you are and love who you are before you try to fall in love with someone else,” said Lennard. “Be independent people that also just like being together.”