Virginia is for lovers: An ode to Cavalier couples
In 2019, we published our first iteration of Wedded Wahoos, and now, five years later, we wanted to highlight more Cavalier couples. From a chance encounter on Tinder to a proposal painted on Beta Bridge, these stories all have one thing in common: They led to a Wahoo wedding.
Tiffany Spragans Duck (Col ’11) and David Duck (Col ’09)
David and Tiffany’s relationship started off with a Valentine’s Day singing telegram. He was selling “love-o-grams” in Newcomb Hall as a fundraiser for his on-Grounds record label; she bought one to prank her gunnery sergeant.
“My singing buddy and I did it. We knocked on his office door and sang ‘All My Life’ by K-Ci and JoJo to an intimidating Marine, while a professor threatened to call security on us,” David says. “I think my bravery caught her eye.”
The two officially started dating after taking a road trip from Virginia Tech together.
“Our entire early love story was set in C’ville and at UVA. I bought her ring from Zales in Fashion Square Mall, and I proposed to her the month before she graduated in her apartment on Wertland Street.”
At their wedding, David serenaded his bride with “All My Life”—the same song she’d purchased for the love-o-gram back on Grounds.
Charles Cockrell Jr. (Engr ’90) and Drew Cannady (Law ’02)
Many UVA couples meet on Grounds—but Drew and Charles connected in the same place as many modern couples: the dating app Tinder. As he was swiping, Charles noticed Drew was sporting a UVA T-shirt in one of his photos, and they’ve been together ever since.
“We didn’t go to UVA at the same time, and we did not meet until well after graduation,” Drew says. “However, we’ve gone on many dates in Charlottesville when we’ve attended football games and reunions. We were in Charlottesville for my 20th law school reunion.”
The two cemented their Cavalier couple status when they got engaged on the Rotunda steps in 2022.
Matthew Mooney (Col ’10) and Hiba Hashmi Mooney (Engr ’10)
After more than 15 years together, Hiba and Matt still debate about when they met. (He insists he spent an entire evening talking to her at the Phi Sigma Pi house; she has no such recollection.) They both remember, however, an early date at Horse & Hound on West Main.
“The bill arrived, and I hadn’t brought my purse because Matt told me not to,” Hiba says. “Well, he reached into his back pocket, and he had forgotten his wallet. I had to stay there sipping water slowly as he ran back to his apartment to retrieve his wallet.”
They managed to move past that awkward evening. At their wedding in 2013, Hiba surprised Matt by getting all his Hullabahoo friends to sing “The Good Old Song.”
“There were so many stars that had to align to put Matt and I together at UVA and then keep us together,” Hiba says. “For me, an immigrant from Pakistan who grew up in Connecticut, to end up at UVA was an incredible feat in itself.”
Jan Pascua Peischel (Com ’88) and Jim Peischel (Com ’88, Grad ’89)
“Two students walk into an intermediate accounting class at the Commerce School at the beginning of the semester and are seated somewhat alphabetically by Dean Shenkir. The rest is history!” Jan says.
“There was a lot of group work back then and so, on the first day, it was convenient to create groups with the people sitting next to you. Group work sessions turned into lunch dates, studying together at Clemons Library, taking breaks and running the Camp Holiday Trails.”
Eventually, Jim left a note in Jan’s mailbox suggesting they get dinner at Newcomb Hall for Valentine’s Day.
“We didn’t have a lot of money to spare back then but that date solidified our relationship,” Jan says. “We laugh about it every Valentine’s Day!”
After graduating, they both became accountants, and Jim proposed on April 16, 1993—a day after Tax Day.
Matt Frakes (Grad ’19, ’23) and Brianna Kirk Frakes (Grad ’19, ’25)
Matt and Brianna met on their first day of grad school when they happened to sit across from each other at an orientation lunch in Newcomb Hall. “We immediately bonded over our shared embrace of UVA school spirit, which soon extended to leading groups of our fellow grad students to cheer on UVA football at every home game we could,” Matt says.
Their first official date was “quintessential UVA,” he says. “We attended Jim Ryan’s inauguration ceremony on the Lawn as the new UVA president and then I asked Brianna out to dinner, stopping first at Three Notch’d and then South Street Brewery, which have become two of our perennial favorites that we make sure to return to on each of our return visits to C’ville.”
When it came time to propose, Matt scouted the prettiest locations on Grounds, settling on the garden behind Pavilion I in the spring.
John Thomas (Col ’88, Grad ’95) and Stephanie Lynn Gray Thomas (Educ ’90)
Stephanie and John met in high school but grew closer when they both ended up at UVA. They agree that their most memorable UVA date was their engagement.
John enlisted his housemate to help him paint Beta Bridge all night long. One on side: a stick figure with “I love you this much!” and on the other: “Stephanie—will you marry me?”
“We had gone to dinner at Oregano Joe’s on Emmet Street, and by a miracle she suggested we go for a walk around Grounds,” John says. “So we strolled on over with me checking for the ring in my pocket every two minutes, so fearful I’d lose it. All she said was, ‘Hey look, that’s the same stick figure you draw’ and then I pointed to the near side of the bridge.”
Stephanie reacted by asking if he’d painted it, and how long it took, and if anyone had helped.
“She forgot there was an unanswered proposal in the air (and on the bridge),” he says. “And she finally said, ‘Well, of course.’”
Bill Maschal (Col ’69) and Nancy Maschal (Nurs ’68)
Nancy and Bill met in high school in 1963 but didn’t begin dating until they’d both been accepted to UVA. Much to their parents’ surprise, they became engaged during their first year.
“We assured them we would wait to marry until we had graduated, but our youth, optimism, desire to be together won out, and we were married the summer after our second year at UVA,” Nancy says. “Our wedding was in the UVA Chapel and the reception was held at the Thomas Jefferson Inn on July 15, 1967.”
For their last two years at UVA, the couple lived in the Copeley Hill married student apartments. They were nice and new, Nancy says, “but the rent was so high at the time: $87 a month!”
Patricia McCall (Law ’78) and Arthur Bernstein (Grad ’78)
Arthur met Patricia at a graduate student mixer, and for their first date, he took her to a basketball game at U-Hall.
Having come to UVA from England, she had never been to a basketball game before. Two good things happened that day: UVA beat Maryland, and Arthur and Patricia became a couple.
When Arthur got a post-grad job offer from the California State Legislature, they moved to Sacramento, where they married.
After U-Hall was torn down in 2019, he bought some of the arena seats to commemorate their first date. He presented them to her at their 40th anniversary party.
Michael Baudinet (Col ’04) and Margaret “Moggie” Bolton Baudinet (Col ’07)
Moggie and Michael met in the summer of 2006. She was interning for Larry Sabato at the Center for Politics, where Michael was an employee.
UVA became an integral part of their love story—including their engagement and wedding. The former involved an elaborate scavenger hunt across Grounds, and the latter included getting dressed in Pavilion VII and saying “I do” in the UVA Chapel.
“As Charlottesville residents now, we have brought our quintuplets (yep, that’s five kids) back to the Chapel and the Lawn every year,” Moggie says. “For their first Halloween, they trick-or-treated on the Lawn and got to meet Mr. Sabato to thank him for bringing their parents together.”
Siobhan Skizim (Col ’07) and Nick Skizim (Col ’06)
Siobhan and Nick met playing rugby, went on their first date in the spring of 2006, and paid homage to UVA at their wedding.
“Each of the tables at our wedding featured a memorable UVA location—from the Lawn to Mad Bowl to the Chem Building to the Valley House,” Siobhan says. “We even took a trip to UVA wearing UVA T-shirts to take photos in front of the spots to be our table markers!”
The couple’s youngest son was born March 30, 2019; later that evening, Siobhan remembers, UVA made it to the Final Four.
Julianna Winter (Engr ’18) and Zach Winter (Arch ’18)
Julianna approached Zach when she spotted him playing Frisbee on the quad outside of Metcalf and Lefevre. Soon, she says, he asked her on their first date: “a nice Chick-fil-A dinner at the Pav.”
On their four-month anniversary, they spent hours talking in the Pavilion IX Garden after dinner at the Virginian. After moving to Chicago, they returned to that garden and got engaged.
“We got married on May 26, 2023, at King Family Vineyards, and we got to show all our friends and family our favorite places around Grounds over Memorial Day weekend,” Julianna says.
Katherine Scott (Engr ’90) and Tom Scott (Engr ’89)
Katherine and Tom met as members of the Engineering Council and went on their first date at Armand’s Pizza on the Corner.
After graduating, the couple returned to UVA to get engaged on the Lawn and married in the Chapel, with their reception at Alumni Hall.
“[McIntire professor] Mr. [John] Wheeler and his quartet played at the beginning of our reception and had many guests dancing the Virginia Reel,” she says. “Most of our wedding party and guests were UVA alumni. We return to Charlottesville for football, basketball and other games and are happy to have a child who is a third-year ’Hoo.”
Mike Lenox (Engr ’93, ’94) and Macy Lenox (Col ’94)
It didn’t take long for Macy and Mike to find each other. They met during Macy’s first year, when her sorority sister set her up with Mike for a date party. A few years later, they were engaged on the Rotunda steps and married at the Chapel.
After 15 years of living in other states, the couple finally made their way back to UVA in 2008 when Mike became a professor at Darden and Macy began a role in the admissions office.
“We have lived in Charlottesville ever since, raising our family and supporting the ’Hoos,” she says.
Gerald Coles (Col ’81, Educ ’85) and Sannette Dillard-Coles (Nurs ’84)
Sannette met Gerald at a Phi Beta Sigma party during her first year. The two danced once, asked each other’s names, and then didn’t see each other again until more than a year later when they ran into each other on the Corner.
“We scheduled our first get-together for a week later,” Sannette says. “I learned that Gerald graduated in 1981, which is why I never saw him after the party. He was working at UVA Hospital as a pharmacy technician and planning to go to graduate school at the Curry School of Education.”
The two officially became a couple at the nursing school formal in 1982, married five years later, and had two children, who both became ’Hoos themselves.
The Rev. Dr. Cynthia Byers Walter (Col ’77) and Rich Walter (Col ’74, Law ’77)
“Boy meets girl at friend’s party celebrating huge squeaker football win over Tech,” Rich says. “Five nights later, boy and girl promise never to get serious with one another.”
They failed to keep that promise.
“Boy proposed to girl kneeling on Rotunda’s cold marble pavement. Girl took pity on boy and accepted.”
The couple married the day before taking their degrees, with a reception in the Pavilion III Garden. They spent their wedding night out of town, Rich says, “but close by so we could be on time for commencement!”
Marit Simenson (Col ’91) and Hans Bauman (Engr ’92)
“We first met at Court Square Tavern at a German Club ‘stammtisch’ where we all practiced our German language skills,” Hans says.
“When the bill came, I loudly complained about the cost of three beers and my future wife called me out, curtly reminding me that I simply had to pay for what I’d ordered. Needless to say, we both got over that rough first impression!”
In 2015, the couple returned to Court Square Tavern and sat at the table where they’d met:
Victor Deupi (Arch ’86) and Jill Deupi (Grad ’06)
Victor and Jill met between their respective stints at UVA and were married before Jill became a ’Hoo.
They did, however, share a memorable UVA date: Jill’s Ph.D. defense in the Upper East Oval Room of the Rotunda in December 2005.
“That she was the first woman to graduate with honors from the art history Ph.D. program was very special,” Victor says. “I could not have been more proud of her and that both of us were permanently linked with UVA.”
Song Kang (Col ’94) and Hi-Sung Lim Kang (Col ’95)
Song and Hi-Sung met at a mutual friend’s apartment and soon figured out they both worked in Old Cabell Hall—Song as a stage manager for the symphony, and Hi-Sung as a house manager.
“Still to this day, we have a shared love of classical music and whenever we find ourselves visiting the Lawn, we always take a quick walk through Old Cabell Hall,” Song says.
They remember attending the 1994 Colonnade Ball. Song says that he “was and still is a terrible dancer, awkward in a tuxedo, and this was his first (semi)formal event ever. Hi-Sung, on the other hand, was completely relaxed, elegant, and in her element.”
Song proposed to Hi-Sung at a picnic table in the green area at University Heights Apartments, where they first met.
Ida Gonzales Caramanis (Col ’95) and Pete Caramanis (Col ’94)
“Ida and I met moving into Lambeth as next-door neighbors in August 1993. I offered to help her move her stuff in, and she politely said no,” Pete says. “Things improved from there—we became friends and ultimately started dating a few months later.”
Their first date was to the UVA vs. Maryland men’s basketball game in U-Hall. UVA won 73-66. It was “a win-win for us,” Pete says.
After getting married in 1998, they moved back to Charlottesville and have lived there ever since, raising three kids, including two more ’Hoos.
Fiorella Roca Trowbridge (Col ’11) and Kyle Trowbridge (Col ’11)
Kyle and Fio met when he was waiting for another love interest—one of Fio’s suitemates—in a common area in Dunnington Hall.
Fio was on a couch opposite Kyle, “and her laptop started playing a song by the Arctic Monkeys,” the couple says. “Kyle said, “Oh I love the Arctic Monkeys! Are you a fan too?’”
Years of dating later, he found out that Fio “was curious about this dude on her couch, looked at his Facebook page, and decided to play music from one of the bands he ‘liked.’”
Jonathan Terry (Col ’06, Law ’11) and Laura Terry (Col ’06)
Laura and Jonathan met in Intro to Astronomy, becoming friends and study buddies before going on their first date: an Academical Village People concert and dinner on the Corner.
“We got engaged at his house on Lewis Mountain Road across from Mem Gym,” Laura says. “Then we drove up to the top of O-Hill to celebrate. The campus police told us we couldn’t be up there after dark but congratulated us on the engagement!”
Lauren Ervin (Nurse ’03) and Seth Ervin (Engr ’03)
Seth and Lauren started as friends in the Navy ROTC unit. Nobody knew they were anything more than that until a formal event celebrating the birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps.
“The cat was let out of the bag and now everyone in the Navy ROTC unit and in our circle of friends knew we were actually dating,” Seth says. “The faces and excitement from our friends was a pretty awesome reaction to get over and over again.”
On their two-year dating anniversary, he proposed. “I wanted to involve UVA and the Lawn, but I wanted it to be a surprise. So, after a fancy dinner at Keswick Hall where I gave her a bracelet to serve as a distraction, I suggested that maybe we go for a walk on the Lawn. Once we went up the steps to the Rotunda and were on the veranda, I pulled out the ring and asked her to marry me at the Rotunda. It was perfect! We laughed and sprinted away to tell all our friends!”
Sara King (Col ’17) and Kyle King (Col ’15, Batten ’17)
“Kyle was a third-year track star when I met him, and a true hunk to say the least,” Sara says. “After a few months of getting to know each other, Kyle asked me to be his girlfriend the night of UVA’s Lighting of the Lawn in 2013.”
The couple welcomed their first daughter in 2023.
“We’ve been able to take two trips down to Charlottesville with her this fall to show her where her mommy and daddy met. We also have a dog named Bennett after Tony Bennett!”
