This is the end of the story
Max Wagner popped the big question to Stephanie Guld after popping out of a plane. Yes, after skydiving!
Spoiler alert: She said yes.
Backing up to the BBYO beginning
Stephanie grew up in Richmond, Va. where, when she was 15 years old and a member of Cohen BBG, she met a guy, Max, also 15, from Virginia Beach. He was a member of Old Dominion AZA. They were friends, BBYO buddies, who spent some time together at Virginia Council events. Stephanie concentrated most of her extra hours as a teen on competitive dance teams, however, so they didn’t see each other that often.
The Social Media connection
Eight years later, the two re-connected on social media. He was back in Virginia Beach; she was working in the fashion industry in New York City. They messaged, then texted, then spoke on the phone, and FaceTimed.
Max decided it was time to meet in person, so he asked Stephanie if he could fly to New York City to take her on a proper date. She agreed. Max booked a flight a month in advance. Two weeks later, he asked if he could come earlier, on February 13. She responded, “Are you making me your Valentine?” Two weeks after that first date, he returned to NYC on the original flight.
The move
For most young professionals, it’s not easy to leave Manhattan. “I love New York with all my heart,” Stephanie admits, but then quickly adds, “But I love Max more.”
Since Max is in his second year of medical school at EVMS and unable to relocate, Stephanie packed up and moved. Fortunately, Stephanie was able to transfer her marketing skills from the fashion world to the position of director of sales and marketing for Jody’s Popcorn.
“My parents moved from Richmond to Raleigh, Max’s family is here, and this is a better quality of life. Now, I get to spend time with people I love!” she literally exclaims.
The surprise date
“Stephanie would always bring up the idea of skydiving,” says Max. “I, on the other hand, have never been keen to the idea of skydiving.”
Still, he made plans.
On Labor Day weekend, Max, 25, told Stephanie, also 25, they were going on a surprise date, so she dressed for a Sunday bunch. He, however, packed a bag with the outfit he knew she’d need.
“I thought, ‘Go big, or go home’ with the proposal, and I really wanted to catch her off guard, so I took her to Skydive Suffolk,” says Max. Hoping for the best, he purchased the package that included photos and videos.
“I was so excited that this was what we were doing,” recalls Stephanie, that she suspected nothing more.
“I figured I would get engaged or die trying,” says Max, and so they went up 15,000 feet, two miles above the clouds.
And, then, he jumped.
Once on the ground, he waited for Stephanie to arrive. “That seemed to take forever,” he recalls.
With ring in hand, Max ran to where Stephanie was landing, and as soon as she was on firm ground, he dropped to a knee and asked her, “Do you want to be with me forever?”
Already a family affair
In the midst of her acceptance and jubilance, Stephanie asked Max if her mom knew what was happening, as she had tried for years to talk her daughter out of the idea of jumping out of a plane.
At that point, their four parents, Natalie and Michael Guld and Jody and Alan Wagner, along with three close friends, appeared.
“This was the best day of my life thus far!” Stephanie states with absolute clarity.
Two takes on the jump
“I loved it. It was so cool.…an awesome experience. I would do it again!” says Stephanie.
How about Max? “Nope.”
The next beginning of Stephanie and Max’s story
The couple plans for a wedding in December 2018. Wagner promises the event will be grounded…with no skydiving skills required.
– Terri Denison