After 20 years of married bliss, Rachael Meir and her husband Aaron found themselves welcoming a new addition to the family.
Kasey, 33, joined their relationship to form a throuple, and five years on, it’s making all three of them profoundly happy.
The trio consider themselves to be in a three-way marriage – although only Rachael and Aaron are legally married – doing everything regular couples do. They navigate their nine to fives and coming home to each other at the end of the day.
Rachael and Aaron, both 43, had initially explored ethical non-monogamy (ENM) and opened up their marriage about 15 years ago.
‘Aaron and I were married and chose to open our relationship mostly because of my bisexuality,’ said Rachael.
‘Over time, we transitioned from swinging to polyamory, and after intentionally searching for a triad dynamic, we found that connection with Kasey.’
The couple, from Florida, said the transition wasn’t too difficult and they found it easy to added one more person to their lifestyle.
Rachael, a psychologist, said: ‘There are just three of us instead of two.
‘We share a bed, follow a routine that includes going to the gym, working, walking the dog, cooking, doing dishes, watching shows, travelling, going out to eat, attending concerts, you name it.’
In fact, the throuple believe it has some serious perks compared to the traditional couple dynamic.
‘One of the biggest advantages is that there’s always someone to engage with,’ Rachael added.
‘If one partner isn’t in the mood for something, it creates an opportunity for the other two to connect without pressure.
‘We say it’s always a party, never a crowd. We prioritise intentional quality time. We rotate our schedule, plus we have a triad date weekly.’
Rachael and Aaron, an operations manager, met Kasey via Bumble, and after chatting to a few people, Kasey, a customer training manager, was actually the first woman they decided to meet up with.
When they met, Rachael explained that everything suddenly just felt right.
‘I remember the butterflies, the uncertainty, and yes, even the fear when Aaron and I first opened up our marriage,’ she said on TikTok.
‘For years, it felt like something was missing. Then Kasey came into our lives and everything clicked.’
But they admit that their newfound throuple didn’t initially go down too well with friends and family.
‘At first there was a lot of shock and even fear,’ Rachael explained. ‘We were dropping a big change on them, and people naturally filled in the gaps with their own assumptions.’
Much in love, the throuple held a triad commitment ceremony together in November 2023. Over time, Rachael says their close circle saw their love deepen and began to come to terms with the relationship.
She said: ‘Most of them have become incredibly supportive. Education and open conversations helped break down misconceptions and now they encourage and celebrate our relationship. Our bond is just as meaningful and committed.’
Though it works for them, the relationship has received some backlash online too, with some claiming Kasey is a gold-digger or that she will run away with one of them.
Rachel added: ‘Some common concerns we heard were: Rachael is actually a lesbian and will leave Aaron for Kasey, Kasey is a gold-digger or home-wrecker trying to take Aaron and Rachael’s money or break up their marriage, or Aaron is running off with the younger woman.
‘Some people also think Aaron must be wealthy or exceptionally well-endowed.’
Others online say their throuple won’t last and even brand their relationship as ‘morally and religiously wrong’.
‘Some people even mistakenly refer to Kasey and I as “sister wives”,’ Rachael added. This is a polygamous dynamic where a woman is one of multiple who is ‘married’ to a single man – it’s illegal in the UK.
On TikTok the couple share their journey at @dreachaelmeircoaching, and there are lots of positive comments and questions about the relationship, but of course, there are some negative posts too.
User Mike Mitchum wrote: ‘Divorce chances 99%’ while @Im_jason_hall called it a ‘sinful relationship’.
Others were more curious, with one person, @BFrank, saying: ‘We’d love to find our third.’
For the throuple, outside judgements don’t make a difference.
Rachael added: ‘Right now, we’re all on the same page and continue to build our life together as a committed triad.
‘We emphasise differentiation of self – meaning we each communicate as individuals with our own identities while also working together to accommodate each other’s autonomy, freedom, and choices.
‘And while some family members may not fully get it, they love us and ultimately just want us to be happy.’
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