A wise man once said - “Good things come to people who wait.” Well, it’s a good thing that Alex is a wise man, and Jessica is patient…..


Jessica and Alex started dating by chance - literally. While nobody can confirm who had the idea for the first date (Jessica’s vote is on Allie while Alex thinks it was his good friend, Jeremiah…), the two were set up on a blind date by a combination of high school and college friends who all happened to know one another. Their first date was mini golfing at Centennial Lakes, and right after completing the round, Alex asked Jessica if she wanted to get some ice cream - Little did he know that she was dairy-free and ice cream was for sure a no-go - I guess he might not be that wise….They quickly pivoted to more than one cold beverage at a neighboring Pinstripes.  


Their dates became more and more frequent, and they began to experience a shared love for traveling to national parks, eating at fun restaurants, and, of course, many trips to Longville during the summer. One winter day a few years ago, Alex finally mustered up the confidence to ask Jessica to be his girlfriend at Minnehaha Falls - In only the way she could, she eloquently responded, “Does this mean I finally get to call you my boyfriend??” Remember that comment about being patient? Clearly, she had been hoping the day would come for some time. The two eventually moved in together and spent many nights making dinner together and watching the sunset (mostly Jessica) until it was time for bigger life events….


On the day they got engaged, Jessica was quite confused as her normally not very organized and not overly thoughtful boyfriend was, for some reason, on high alert - Up early, asking to have matching outfits, and for some reason highly fixated on going for a walk by Nicollet Island even as the forecast called for a more than 50% chance of rain. Jessica is a mini weather woman and she always checks the local forecast (thanks, Greg) which only accentuated the stress for Alex. Patient as always, she rolled with the punches, and they eventually made it to Nicollet Island, where they got engaged on a sandy beach with both sets of parents and siblings watching in the distance.