Let’s rewind to the first day of the Fall semester at Maryville University in 2017, where it all started!

Jake was finishing up his Business degree and had a mandatory Fine Arts requirement to fulfill, so in a room full of students waiting to go to their classes, he asked, “Does anyone know where the ceramics room is?”

Unfortunately, he was in the entirely wrong building.

Fortunately, I knew where the ceramics classroom was and spoke up to help this stranger out.

(In the long version of the story, I gesture in the general direction of the ceramics building, and then Jake thanks me and goes on his way. About a minute later, he comes back and admits he can't find it, so I take pity and walk him down to the old trailer. We'll never know if he actually couldn't find it or just wanted to make me feel like a hero)!

Things slowly fell into place after that, and we finally had our first date on Halloween. Since then, we've spent the past six years growing together, supporting one another, and finding ways to love each other more every single day.

We were also crazy enough to buy our first home together in the glorious year of 2020. Which means we can do anything together. Go us!

Jake proposed on March 3, 2023, at Papago Park in Phoenix while on a trip for my birthday. I couldn't tell you all the wonderful, heartfelt things he said, but I can tell you I ugly cried and accepted his marriage proposal before he even really asked.

When we're not spending all of our free time planning the best day of our lives, we love traveling to new places (especially when there is a beach close by), eating good food, shopping, and spending time with our families and two precious cats, Mia & Princey.

We are so ridiculously excited to say “I do” and celebrate our love with our favorite people. Cheers to the beginning of the rest of our lives!

Courtyard by Marriott St Louis Chesterfield