Some people believe life is all planned out, that "the one" is out there waiting. Some say life is all about turning opportunities into action and making "the one" a reality. Why not both? The back story that brings all of you to this happy day was made up of a series of chance moments tied together by fate.

Jody and Josh met by chance on a crisp November evening at their mutual friend, Shayna's, apartment in the Fall of 2012. Jody was down from Orono with her friend Hilary over Thanksgiving break while attending UMaine. For Josh, it was just another typical night out in Portland with his best friend Kris. Kris and Josh always joked about finding two girls to date who also were good friends. It would just make everything so much easier! Was this idea fate or a plan ready to be put in motion?

Our story begins to gain traction later that night at the night club "The Pearl". Josh decided that opportunities like this don't come up everyday and he REALLY wanted to dance with Jody. Now at this point in the night neither Jody or Hilary had paid much attention to Josh or Kris. That was all about to end. Josh went up to the bar and ordered a couple drinks for the girls who were out on the dance floor empty handed. He then grabbed Kris and dragged him out onto the floor as he couldn't do this alone! Kris started dancing with Hilary and Josh got his chance to dance with Jody. And from that moment on.... Kris and Hilary were inseparable.

Not exactly the start of a relationship for Jody and Josh like Josh had hoped... But it was the start of something much more important to our story, the spark of a friendship. As months went by and Kris and Hilary dove deep into their new found love, Jody and Josh were front row spectators for it all. Josh would always make jokes about how Jody was the one for him and that someday he'd have his chance again. All his friends passed it off as Josh being Josh, always joking around. This carried on for a couple years, but the subtle idea of it all began to stick.

In June of 2014, our Bride of the story started thinking of Josh a little differently. It was around this time that our Best Man, Andrew, pointed out to her, "you keep saying you're tired of dating guys who never pan out to anything, you know there's someone who's been right under your nose who pretty much worships the ground you walk on, why not give him a shot?" So she did, she reached out to Josh to see if he wanted to hang out sometime.

Two years in the making, Josh knew this was the moment he had been hoping and waiting for. They spent that Saturday together with friends, going to a Brew Fest and then mini-golfing with each other. When Josh dropped her off that night they shared what would eventually become eachothers' last first kiss.

Less than a week later they were meeting each others' families, going to weddings and seeing each other as much as possible over the summer, knowing that when fall came, their relationship may get put to the test. The week prior to all this, Jody accepted a teaching job in Orono, 2 hours north of where Josh lived. But they made it work for that first year, seeing each other on weekends. Jody without hesitation began searching for a teaching position near Portland and on their one year anniversary, Jody finally made the move south to begin teaching in Windham during the fall of 2015.

In September, they rescued their first "child", their dog Max. It was around that same time during the fall that Josh began to move into the next phase of the relationship plan. There's one thing that Jody loves more than anything and that is ridiculous, cheesy, romantic, Christmas time love story movies. All the better if they take place in NYC, as most of them do. Josh, never one to shy away from making a big scene and being the center of attention, thought of the perfect place and time to propose to Jody, Center Ice at Rockefeller Plaza, the Saturday before Christmas.

Through a lot of co-ordination with family and friends, he slowly made his elaborate idea into a plan and then his plan into reality. The night came together perfect, Jody was completely caught off guard and there they were skating around in the middle of the ice rink, under the biggest Christmas tree in the world when Josh dropped down to one knee and popped the question (without slipping and falling mind you). Nothing like a low key proposal with friends and family gathered in NYC with 10's of thousands of people watching. Click here to watch.

A tale three years in the making, now going on four, with hope for a hundred years more. Their story is truly just getting started. A story of chance encounters. A story of well planned opportunities. A story of two friends and just a few of the events that led them to become the future Mr. & Mrs. Lagasse.