Over the course of three-and-a-half years attending Boston University and despite many mutual friends, Justin and Jess hadn't yet met. It wasn't until one Thursday night at TITS (Tavern in the Square, for those not in the know), the night before Valentine's Day, that Justin and Jess were introduced. Two nights (and many, many drinks, as seen in the below photo) later, at Ts, another popular BU bar, the two hit it off. A little over a month later, Justin took Jess on an official first date to an Italian restaurant in the North End, followed by cannolis at Mike's Pastry. Cannolis in hand, Justin asked Jess to officially be his girlfriend.

Fast-forward almost five years of dating - countless date nights exploring New York City, nights out with friends, one year of managing long distance relationship logistics between New York and Philly, traveling the world together (Italy, Budapest, Prague, Austria, Munich, Mexico, parts of the U.S. and more), moving in together into a perfect little NYC apartment - Justin knew it was time. About a week before he popped the question, Justin told Jess he made reservations at a restaurant in Jersey City for dinner the following Sunday. This wasn't a rarity - the two love trying new restaurants in the NY/NJ areas. That morning, Justin was at work, and Jess was at home baking. It was pouring all day - the perfect weather for Seamless ordering and Netflix watching. When Justin got home and announced that dinner was still on, Jess reluctantly (very, very reluctantly) got dressed and the two made the trek to Jersey City in the horrendous weather. As they approached the restaurant and Justin insisted on going down to the water for a photo, Jess finally started to put the pieces together - just in time for Justin to get down on one knee and pull the little box out of his pocket. Completely shocked, blissfully teary-eyed and soaking wet from the rain, Jess accepted! Justin's sister and brother-in-law were there capturing the moment on camera. The four went inside to escape the rain only to find that Justin also invited both sets of parents and Jess's brother to celebrate. The organization of the whole day and thoughtfulness of the plan is a testament to Justin's character and his love for Jess. The weather, while it ruined Justin's photo opp planning, only made the story better.