THE BUTTERFLY AND THE PILOT

Our story begins on Saturday, November 2nd, 2019, in Appleton, Wisconsin, on a Halloween party bus. Jaelynn was dressed as a butterfly, and Ian was a pilot.

Jaelynn wasn't in the best mood that day, but her friend Caylee was there to cheer her up and insisted that she join her on a party bus. Although she was the only person Jaelynn knew there, that soon changed.

They were having a great time, and then Ian caught Jaelynn's attention with his impressive dance moves. If you know Ian, you know his dancing skills are hard to miss.

Ian eventually came over and sat by Jaelynn, and most of the party bus ride was spent chatting about family, the things that were important to them, and getting to know one another. They discovered they had some mutual friends, which would play a significant role later on.

That night, as Jaelynn went home, she thought to herself, "Is it the party bus 'juice,' or is this the guy I'm going to marry one day?"

A HOUSEWARMING PARTY

They continued to stay in touch through text, but nothing serious developed, and eventually, they fell off and stopped talking. Months later, their mutual friends Dalton and Austin hosted a housewarming party. They both attended, and that rekindled their texting.

Texting then led to their first date: takeout Mexican food from Antojitos while watching 'Ozark'.

GRAND CANYON AND GRAND GESTURES

In August of 2020 Jaelynn had planned a trip to Arizona to see the Grand Canyon in two weeks with a friend, but the friend couldn’t go at the last minute. She took a chance and asked Ian if he wanted to go with. To her surprise, he said yes!

They spent their trip seeing the most beautiful sunsets, hiking trails through the canyons and enjoying stunning views from mountain tops, each time Jaelynn wondered, is this where he'll ask me to be his girlfriend?

On the night before they were supposed to leave, just as they were staring to pack their things , Jaelynn asked the famous question, "what are we, am I your girlfriend?", to which Ian replied, " I thought you already were?".

To this day they don't know their exact anniversary date so they celebrate on a random day at the end of August.

WHAT THE DUCK?

Halloween weekend has always been a special time for Jaelynn and Ian. Jaelynn owns a Jeep, and in Jeep culture, it's common to place small plastic rubber ducks on other Jeeps to display in the windshield. In October 2023, Ian surprised Jaelynn by randomly placing ducks dressed in bridal and groom attire on her Jeep, along with notes that said things like, "It's going to happen soon," "It's almost time," and "Go get your nails done."

When they returned to Wisconsin that Halloween weekend, Ian suggested they go to their favorite bakery, Happy Bellies, to grab some breakfast. As Jaelynn walked in, she noticed a small Jeep with a duck on it that read, "Will you marry me?" and the rest is history.

"I DO"

From a Halloween party bus to a surprise proposal with a rubber duck, Jaelynn and Ian have built a life full of adventure, love, and unexpected moments. What began as a chance meeting turned into a journey across states, countries, and national parks, where they not only grew together but created a home in every place they explored.

As they look forward to their future, every twist of fate and every little surprise reminds them that they found each other in the most unexpected of places, and each new moment feels like the start of their next great adventure.

Let's get married!