Sarah Matheson, 38, and Mike Mihalecz, 47, during their second-line parade to the Clarendon Ballroom in Arlington. “It started out as something practical — a way to get to guests from the ceremony to our reception at the Clarendon Ballroom without stopping at the Irish bar in between,” the groom told The Washington Post, “but it quickly grew into an opportunity to celebrate something personal with our community.” (Taylor and Ben Photography)

Sarah Matheson’s motivation for dating was simple: She needed a plus-one. Specifically, to her younger brother’s wedding five months out, in October 2011.

Sarah hoped that by securing a date, she could avoid a barrage of probing — albeit good-intentioned — questions from her family about her love life. “I obviously wanted to be in a relationship, but because I never felt there was a timeline, I never fully applied myself to dating,” she admits.

Her brother’s nuptials were the push — and the deadline — she needed. “I decided that, at the very least, I needed to bring a date,” says Sarah, 38, a sustainability manager at the Indian conglomerate Tata Sons.

So, Sarah took to the Internet and created a profile on eHarmony, hoping to find a suitable match before the wedding. And unlike previous forays into cyberdating, she stuck with it and made it a daily habit.

Within weeks, Sarah, began chatting with Michael Mihalecz, a psychologist in Alexandria. After years of putting off dating for the pursuit of higher education (specifically, two master’s degrees and a doctorate), Mike had registered with eHarmony with a similar determination.

The groom dips the bride during the couple's first dance to "Lucky" by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat . (Taylor and Ben Photography)

[She saw her first love on the 11 o’clock news. Four months later, they were engaged. ]

His early dates, however, were disappointing. “There was a series of first dates,” says Mike, 47. “It was an easy way to try people out. It was like a first audition: ‘Okay, next!’ ”

He and Sarah agreed to meet after a brief email exchange and a few short phone calls. But Mike canceled their plans twice: once to brew beer with a friend and another to visit family. Sarah, impressed by his first excuse, gave him a pass, but by the second, she was ready to call it quits.

But Mike persuaded her to give him another chance, and they met for drinks at Clyde’s in Chinatown in late May. Truthfully, though, Sarah “had already dismissed him at that point.”

As soon as Mike saw her, he realized how high the stakes were. “I thought, ‘Wow. I had better not mess this up.’ ”

Sarah was pleasantly surprised, and cautiously optimistic, by their immediate connection. Drinks at the bar segued into hours of conversation, and they ended the evening at Poste (now Dirty Habit), where they shared a nightcap — and a first kiss — in the outdoor courtyard. “It was nice, easy and natural,” Sarah says.

Two weeks later, they shared an intimate date at PX, a speakeasy-inspired bar in Old Town Alexandria where once again they shared an easy chemistry. She liked the fact that, although Mike’s day job was rigorous and scientific, he embraced his creative side and had an eclectic variety of hobbies, including smoking foods, felting and soap making.

he bride and groom cut their praline art deco wedding cake at their wedding reception at the Clarendon Ballroom in Arlington. (Taylor and Ben Photography)

“He doesn’t just learn something, he dives in and wants to fully understand the craft,” she says. “Once he sets his mind to something, he’s all in.”

From that point on, things progressed swiftly, and by date five, they were exclusive. By the time her brother’s wedding rolled around that October, they were a full-fledged couple.

“It was a huge sign for me that he could hang out with my family for an entire weekend,” says Sarah.



In February 2012, they moved in together in an apartment in Alexandria. It proved an easy decision for both of them.

“He makes me laugh every day, sometimes every hour, from the moment he wakes up,” Sarah says.

“She’s one of the nicest and most patient people I have ever met,” Mike adds. “She’s also extremely modest. . . . Her mom passed when she was young, and she had a huge role in raising her three brothers.”

Over the next few years, Mike and Sarah continued to grow closer, traveling to India, Dubai and the Bahamas, among other places. “She’s not only willing to follow me on crazy adventures; she’s encouraging of them,” Mike says.

Sarah also helps Mike stay grounded, organized and focused. “I like accomplishing things at a very organized pace, while Mike adds a lot of flavor, depth and personality to them,” she says. “He makes everything fun, and I make sure everything gets done.”

They purchased a townhouse in Alexandria’s Del Ray neighborhood in 2014, and in fall 2015, Sarah began questioning Mike about whether, and when, a proposal might happen. “As soon as Mike said, ‘I’m working on it,’ I dropped it,” she says. “He is very deliberate about what he does, and I knew there was something happening. I was willing to wait.” (Turns out, Mike was saving up for a ring.)

[Are you getting married in the Washington region? Tell us why we should feature your nuptials here]

Ring finally in hand, they returned to the courtyard of their first date on April 2, 2016, and he proposed. “I think I said yes before he even finished his speech,” she says.

The couple exchanged vows Feb. 25 before about 120 guests at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Arlington. Months earlier, the couple had decided on a New Orleans-style second-line parade down Washington Boulevard after the ceremony.

“It started out as something practical — a way to get to guests from the ceremony to our reception at the Clarendon Ballroom without stopping at the Irish bar in between,” says Mike, “but it quickly grew into an opportunity to celebrate something personal with our community.”

But nature had other plans. Just as the couple proceeded down the aisle for the first time as husband and wife, it started to thunder. Determined to carry on with their plans, they persisted despite the bad weather.

“It literally rained on our parade,” Mike jokes.

Although they ended up wet, Mike and Sarah’s spirits were left undampened as they danced, kissed and celebrated the fact that they had found a partner — and plus-one — for life.