Joseph Tanner Velten was born in Pineville, North Carolina to Joe and Michelle Velten. He lived in the Charlotte area until the age of 7 when his family moved to Alamance County. He started his fourth grade year at South Mebane Elementary where he met Jennifer.

Jennifer Lorraine Wade was born in Mebane, North Carolina, where she lived for most of her life, to William and Tina Wade. She started at South Mebane Elementary in Kindergarten and met Tanner in the fourth grade.

The two kids participated in Chorus and Band together, traveling to Southpoint Mall in Durham, NC and Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA. Tanner moved again, halfway through eighth grade, to Newport, NC where he attended West Carteret High School while Jennifer stayed behind at Eastern Alamance High School.

The two continued with marching band. Tanner looked for Eastern at every competition. But it wasn’t until April of their freshman year of college at Appalachian State University that the two would meet again.

On April 8th, 2016, Tanner ran into Jennifer completely by accident. An hour late to lunch, his path crossed hers as she made her way to Central Dining Hall. They met up more than a week later for lunch, and the rest is history. A year and a half later, the two started dating, attending concerts, hockey games, and football games together. They hung out with friends and went to parties, church, and bowling together.

On November 5th, 2020 (their three year anniversary), Tanner proposed.