We met on Hinge (thank goodness I liked one of his photos—otherwise this might never have happened!) and bonded quickly over our shared love of reading and a few favorite books. For our first date, we met at a cozy local coffee/bar. Instead of flowers, Damien brought one of his favorite books. Swoon.

Not wanting the night to end, we wandered around downtown Springfield and ended up at Vantage, the rooftop bar, hoping to catch a meteor shower. No meteors, but the view was beautiful, the company even better—and that’s when Jess told me her friends call her Jess. I was in.

From the very beginning, we knew we had something special. We were texting non-stop, and I (Damien) couldn’t wait for our next date. Less than a week later, we were strolling through C-Street when Damien said, “Hold on,” tipped me back, and kissed me for the first time. At the end of the night, he heroically chased me down to turn on my headlights (I still have no idea how I turned them off) and—according to him—saved my life.

Since then, we’ve built a life full of delicious food, spontaneous adventures, epic parties, and time with the people we love. Being together has always felt easy, even as we’ve navigated the occasional bumps along the way.

We’re elated to get married and can’t wait to celebrate with all of you!

Side note- the above is our very first pic together!

J&D

Wedding Day