James and Jenna were introduced to each other in December of 2023 over lunch. They were set up by James’ Aunt Sandi and Uncle Steve who have known Jenna’s parents since their time together at the University of Oklahoma. Aunt Sandi was actually roommates with Jenna’s mom at one point! James and Jenna both grew up around Steve and Sandi’s family but had never crossed paths themselves. Much to James and Jenna’s surprise, both of their families were invited to their “first date.” During that fateful lunch at Uncle Julio’s, James and Jenna found time to talk in the midst of her brothers’ thorough questioning about Honda Days and Toyotathon. (Shout out Josiah!) A couple days after the lunch, James asked for Jenna’s number and the rest is history!

(Shout out to the Cobb and Cochran families — we love you all so much!)

After several hours long phone calls, James and Jenna went on their official first date in Dallas, TX. What was planned to be a three hour date soon turned into a 12 hour date. Before they knew it, over the next few weeks they were visiting each other in their respective cities and meeting all the rest of the family members who weren’t at Uncle Julio’s for lunch. ;)

The next ten months were filled with many painting classes, countless road trips between Oklahoma and Texas, country dancing, and travels to D.C, Colorado, Disney and Missouri. James even joined Jenna’s dad and brothers on a guys trip to Wyoming. During this time, Jenna fell in love with James’ calm demeanor, his work ethic, his witty comebacks and the way he cares for others. Meanwhile, James fell in love with Jenna’s spirited personality, her goofy impressions, and her intuition when interacting with others, including her students.

By the end of 2024 James and Jenna knew that they had found something special in one another and started talking about getting engaged. On December 14th, Jenna’s friends brought her to the Dallas Arboretum where James had planned a stunning proposal that was soon followed by a dinner with many of their closest friends and family. They are both so excited to be getting married in OKC on July 18th!