How We Met:

We met through mutual friends – a classic case of "accidentally bumping into the right person." That summer, we ended up hanging out in large groups, and one magical evening, we found ourselves talking all night. We laughed until we couldn’t breathe and discovered we liked a whole lot of the same things. After that night, we stayed in touch, and well, the rest is history—like, really good history, the kind you want to tell people about at parties.

Our First Date:

If you’re looking for a picture-perfect first date, you might want to skip this chapter. Our dinner plans were interrupted by an epic wait at a restaurant near Smith Haven Mall. But being the knight in shining armor that he is, JT suggested we kill time at Barnes & Noble. Katie, the bookworm, immediately considered this a green flag—no, more like a green neon sign. So, after surviving a terrible meal (both in quality and taste), we decided to salvage the night by driving to Port Jeff for ice cream. This is where things got interesting. The ice cream melted faster than we could eat it, and suddenly, Katie’s sticky hands were in crisis mode. Panic set in—how could we possibly hold hands with sticky fingers? But, as if by some magical love spell, we still managed to hold hands (with a little extra effort) and ended the night on a sticky but sweet note.

Falling in Love:

As we spent more time together, we realized that we were pretty much the same person with different wardrobes. We loved the same movies, TV shows, and weekend hikes. We were two peas in a pod, except one of us was the planner and the other was the one who just showed up with snacks. There wasn’t that one dramatic “Aha!” moment—our love just crept up on us, like a sunrise. Quietly, steadily, and with a lot of warmth.

The Proposal:

The proposal wasn’t your typical sunset-on-a-beach kind of moment—it was more like a "let’s-hike-3-miles-in-the-rain" kind of day. On a chilly Spring afternoon in Asheville, NC, we were hiking up a three-waterfall trail when JT casually asked to stop for a photo. Naturally, Katie thought, "Oh, this is the photo moment before the proposal." But then JT dropped to one knee in the mud, by the roaring waterfall, and... boom! There it was. The proposal of a lifetime, complete with a drizzle and a muddy knee. I mean, who else gets proposed to in the middle of a hiking trail while covered in rain and mud? Us, apparently.

What Makes Us Special:

What we love most about our relationship is how we balance each other out. Katie is the planner—she’s got lists for everything, from date nights to what we’re having for dinner next year. JT is the easygoing one, living life in a state of "we’ll figure it out." Together, we’re the perfect yin and yang. And let’s not forget—we laugh at the same silly things and somehow always manage to make each other feel better after a long day. Our relationship is built on trust, respect, and an abundance of silly humor. Because who doesn’t need more laughing in their life?

Looking Forward:

After ten years together, we’re thrilled to be stepping into this next chapter. We’re excited to get married, mostly because it’s a great excuse to throw a massive party with all of you. We can’t wait to celebrate with our favorite people and kick off our new life as partners in crime (but with fewer ice cream meltdowns this time).

K&J

Wedding Day

3:00 PM–3:30 PM

Ceremony

3:30 PM–4:30 PM

Cocktail Hour

4:30 PM–8:00 PM

Reception