Photographs by Krysta Norman Photography
Raiza, from Chantilly, and Zbynek, from Zulova, Czech Republic, met working at IBM she works in sales as an account executive, and he’s a partner, consulting clients in finance and emerging technology. After attending a few of the same business meetings the pair hit it off, and over happy hour and other work functions realized they share similar interests: traveling, going to concerts, dining out, and playing golf.
“We found each other at critical moments in our lives,” they say. “How many people get second chances for life, or love, for that matter? We have, thankfully.” Sparks flew for the pair, who say they are an unlikely couple who “probably surprised a lot of people,” and they haven’t stopped flying since.
How They Met
Philippa and Joe say they “met over the waves of cyberspace.” Joe liked Philippa’s profile on Match; her first response to Joe was a simple “hi.” After chatting a bit on the dating site, the couple decided to meet in person at a local restaurant. Yet, Joe’s day wasn’t going as planned and he ended up texting Philippa that he was running about three hours behind schedule. Philippa says she was skeptical and thought to herself, “Well, this will probably be our first and last date.” Luckily, she was mistaken. Both say they quickly realized during their first date how easy it was to talk, laugh, and just be themselves. “He was well worth the wait,” says Philippa.