Jared and Brie's love story has many chapters:According to Jared, his first memory of Brie was in 7th Grade German class. However, since this was mainly based off of her father, Wayne, bringing snacks to class, and Brie not being able to recall it...perhaps it should be said, that their flirtation started in Sophomore Year Chemistry class.

Fast forward to Junior Year Math class, with paper plane notes being passed across the room, walks to lockers, drives to school, and a first date watching How to Train Your Dragon. Jared asked Brie to be his date to Junior Prom that year, where Brie was so nervous she hung spoons on her nose to break the tension. But both individuals had a lot of growth left ahead of them, and although the romance fizzled out, their friendship never ended.Over the next few years Brie and Jared found comfort in each other. Brie made every effort to be around Jared--whether it was at the local bar, a friend's house, in the city, or even a soccer game--she never wanted to miss a chance to be around her closest companion. While Jared, at the same time, would try to find any way to have Brie included in said plans and events.

Skip to the Easter before Brie left for her graduate program abroad. She finally admitted she held more than feelings of friendship for Jared, and although he admitted the same, he said that he would not hold her back from the next chapter of her life. Over the next year, they spoke almost every day, no matter the time difference, and eventually it became all but certain that they would begin to date once she got back stateside, 10 months later.

Their first official date was a bundle of laughs and trying to figure out how not to be uncomfortable with someone that they were both so comfortable being with. It wasn't until Jared flew down to Jacksonville, that they made the inevitable official. Shortly thereafter, the two were planning combined family dinners, taking trips up and down NJ to see one another, planning dates, going on adventures, and making plans for their future. Part of that future would include figuring out how to continue to build their relationship, while work took Brie down to Raleigh and kept Jared in New Jersey. They, however, had already separately made a decision to spend the rest of their lives together.

Frequent trips up and down I- 95 only served to confirm what each already knew but had not officially said. The official part would not come until that fall. For their one year anniversary, in October 2019, Jared took Brie to Washington D.C. After a long dinner at Cafe Mozart, and an even longer walk along the National Mall, Jared walked Brie nervously around the Lincoln Memorial, got down on one knee, and asked Brie to make him the happiest man alive, by becoming his wife. After what felt like ages, Brie stopped her giggling long enough to say "YES!" and get the picture of the moment that was snapped by a stranger.

Now, the overjoyed couple are enjoying the engaged life, still traveling between states, but knocking this whole wedding planning business out of the park! Let the count down continue!

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