Rita Burns jokes that her first line to former PGN staff writer Angela Thomas on an online dating site wasn’t all that suave — “I messaged Angela with the very smooth line of, ‘So what kind of articles do you write?’ which she still makes fun of me for to this day.”
But, the intro worked. The couple got engaged in December and is planning an August 2016 wedding.
Burns, 27, is a native of Yardley. She graduated from Temple University in 2010 and is starting law school in the area in the fall, and currently works at a local law firm.
Thomas, also 27, hails from Lansdale and graduated from West Chester University in 2012. She currently works as development and marketing associate at Bethesda Project.
The couple met online in 2013 and had their first date that October at Perch Pub.
“Talking with Rita was so effortless. Even in between the awkward silences, it just seemed natural,” Thomas said. “Her company is just so refreshing.”
“I knew I was in trouble that night because I was already falling for her,” added Burns.
The couple moved in together in West Philadelphia last March — “like the stereotypical lesbians, we ‘U-Hauled’ it five months after we made it official,” Thomas joked.
They enjoy exploring the city together, trying new foods and craft beers and crafting.
“We share a (sometimes slightly obsessive) love for our two cats,” Burns added.
While they have a lot in common, the women also appreciate their differences.
“Just the other day, she decided she wanted to fix the plumbing in our bathroom sink. She watched a YouTube video on how to unclog a sink, went into the bathroom and literally fixed our sink, which had been a mess for weeks,” Thomas said. “If it were me, I would have called maintenance to help out, but Rita always wants to learn how to do things and to be self-sufficient, and that is something I admire greatly. She is a go-getter.”
Burns said Thomas’ drive and passion are contagious.
“She’s full of life and wants to always strive for better things for us and society in general,” she said. “She makes the everyday mundane things so exciting and always chooses to see the good in things. She just radiates a presence that I always want to be around and makes me want to strive to be better myself.”
Burns began planning the proposal in the fall. She ordered a handmade ring and a book of photos of the couple, which ended in a written proposal.
“I knew I’d be too nervous to say it,” Burns said.
The couple went to Melrose Diner Dec. 12 and walked to see the Christmas lights on South 13th Street, where Burns presented the book, followed by the ring.
And, right before Valentine’s Day, Thomas proposed back through a written entry she had covertly sent to the Philadelphia Secret Admirer, a newsletter Burns enjoys reading.
“Everyone, regardless of gender, should have that special moment. I wanted Rita to feel as loved and as happy as I did when she proposed to me,” Thomas said.
The couple has begun wedding planning and said they’re enjoying the process of working together.
“I find it fun and rewarding to work through ideas and problems together because in the end we’re bringing together what we both want for our wedding day and I feel like there’s something magical in that, as if it’s laying out a template for our marriage,” Burns said.
No matter the details they decide on for the big day, Thomas said, she’s most excited for the end result.
“Just that I get to marry my best friend,” she said. “At the end of the day, I get to come home to her and that is such a great thing. I am excited to finally be able to legally marry in our state, but most of all, I am just excited to see what dreams we get to accomplish together.”