LOVE WITHOUT BORDERS

When a photographer and florist met at a wedding, an unexpected love story bloomed.

John and Denise Capelli, a wedding photographer and a florist, respectively, launched a business in Denver in 2001. Fourteen years later, after Denise’s recovery from a life-threatening disease, they reached a turning point, ultimately deciding to join the Peace Corps and return to school.

They graduated from Metropolitan State University of Denver in December. John, 55, received a degree in Global Business. And Denise, 48, earned a degree in Communication Studies. They’re now volunteering with fellow former Peace Corps workers to organize support for communities in Ukraine.

“We want to share the new tools we gained from MSU Denver to help build a better world,” Denise said.

The couple met in 1999 at the wedding of Denise’s sister. Denise was pulling double duty as the florist and a bridesmaid while John handled the photography. A few days later, they set up a business meeting to see how they could refer each other’s services, and the meeting turned into a date.

They married in 2001 and opened Capelli Floral and Photography. They threw themselves into their business, and it flourished.

But in 2012, Denise was diagnosed with a rare neurological disease called locked-in syndrome — she was paralyzed except for the muscles that control eye movement. Doctors told John she had little chance of surviving. But after 82 days in the hospital, she was released.

It was a life-changing event for both. As Denise recovered, they returned to a familiar topic: international service work. “We were at a crossroads,” Denise recalled. “Either open a floral design school or close the business and join the Peace Corps. We felt the urge to experience life.”

They entered the Peace Corps in 2015 and served 27 months as community development volunteers in western Ukraine. During that time, they also began thinking about broadening their education, which brought them to MSU Denver.

Among the lessons learned from their journey: Stay open-minded to new opportunities because they will enrich your life. “Don’t be afraid,” John said. “Life is about transformation and, at times, completely reinventing yourself.”