René was born and raised in the small, rural town of Ridgeway, South Carolina. Alejandro is of Nicaraguan descent and grew up in Miami, Florida. René graduated from the University of South Carolina and made her way to Charlotte, North Carolina via her job as a Director of Finance for Atrium Health. Alejandro graduated from the University of Florida (a rival of USC) and made his way to Charlotte as an engineer for Electrolux.

The two met in September 2021 and have been together, dating, traveling, and just inseparable ever since. In April 2024, they took a road trip to Carbondale, Illinois to view the once in a lifetime total solar eclipse.  During the eclipse on April 8, 2024, Alejandro proposed to René, and she said "yes, of course".  

René met Alejandro one month after returning from a girl's trip to Montego Bay, Jamaica. She later learned that Alejandro's nickname to his friends is "Bob", as in "Bob Marley", because at one time Alejandro had Rastafarian dreadlocks! On Valentines Day 2024, the couple went to see the Bob Marley movie, where they realized Alejandro and Bob Marley actually have a lot in common - their idealisms, care for people, and advocacy for social justice & change.

Thank you for sharing our wedding day with us in our special, perfect place - Jamaica.