Two Philadelphia Teachers Wed at LOVE Park and Welcome a Foster Daughter

Zhané Stones did not expect to fall so quickly for a woman she knew only through dating app messages. But after connecting with Cassidy Jemo on Bumble in the fall of 2021, she found the feeling a happy surprise. The two married on Wednesday, June 22, 2022, in Philadelphia, and by late summer they had become foster parents.

Their path began awkwardly. Jemo, still wary after the end of a long relationship, canceled a planned ramen date in Chinatown in late October 2021, saying she was unwell. She included her phone number in the message. Stones, who also had a recent long-term relationship behind her and was looking for a kind, compassionate partner who wanted a family someday, offered to bring supplies, then called days later. That first call ran more than an hour, and Stones's thoughtful questions helped Jemo feel more at ease.

Before their rescheduled date, the pair decided not to wait. Returning to Francisville from a trip with friends, Stones offered to stop by. When she arrived at Jemo's North Philadelphia home, Jemo's cat, Cairo, darted outside, with Jemo chasing after him. The cat stopped at Stones's feet, and the two women greeted each other.

Jemo, now 28, grew up in Hazleton and Boyertown, attended the Hill School on an academic and athletic scholarship, and studied peace and justice at Wellesley College before earning a master's in education from Temple. She served 25 months with the Peace Corps in Panama until volunteers were evacuated at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and she now teaches Spanish at Strawberry Mansion High School. Stones, 27, split her childhood between Norfolk, Va., and Philadelphia, earned a track and field scholarship to Wagner College, and studied psychology. After working in security in North Carolina, she returned to Philadelphia in 2019 and is now a long-term substitute teacher with the school district.

That first night, a bachata song prompted Jemo to ask Stones to dance. Stones kissed her. "I did not fall in love with the kiss," Jemo said. "The reason I really knew we were meant to be is the way we danced together — we flowed." Stones ended up staying at the house, and she has lived there since.

After joking about marriage for weeks, Jemo presented a ring on Jan. 1, 2022. Stones asked to keep the engagement private for a while. On Valentine's Day, she staged her own proposal, pretending to search for something lost before getting down on one knee with a ring. Then the couple shared the news.

They married at LOVE Park during Wedding Wednesday. More than 200 guests came, the most ever at a wedding there; the event now has a 75-guest limit for logistical reasons. Stones's parents, Hazel and Johnny, and Jemo's parents, Kim and Mike, walked them down the aisle, and Stephen Workman of Journeys of the Heart officiated. They had written vows but spoke from the heart instead. The reception took place at Nix & Nix Event Venue, and their first dance was to "Promise" by Romeo Santos and Usher, a song that shifts into bachata, echoing the night they met. They honeymooned for 12 days in the Dominican Republic.

While Jemo handled most wedding planning, Stones prepared their home for foster children, and the couple began foster parent training in April. At the end of August, KK, a 9-year-old girl whose full name is withheld for privacy, moved in. She enjoys caring for the family's pets, is learning to swim at a community center, and likes cooking with the couple, calling them Mommy and Mom. She hopes to start a cooking YouTube channel for kids.

Stones plans to pursue a master's in special education and a real estate license to serve low-income households, while Jemo hopes to earn a Ph.D. in education and write children's books. For now, they say, KK comes first. They hope to foster and adopt more children and have biological children one day. "KK is totally onboard," Jemo said.