Kristin and Jonathan met through mutual friends in 2012, although they’d both agree their official anniversary is a matter of debate. Kristin was working as an ICU nurse at George Washington University Hospital in DC and Jonathan was working with a government contractor in northern Virginia at the time. They dated for a few months but unfortunately their timing was a bit off, and neither were ready to make a long-term commitment. Despite this, Kristin and Jonathan remained friends and kept in touch over the years, even as Kristin moved throughout the country as a travel nurse. In 2015 their conversations became longer and more frequent and they started making trips to visit each other (instead of just seeing each other any time Kristin happened to be in DC). In early 2016, Jonathan told Kristin he wanted her to move back to the DC area so they could rekindle their romantic relationship. After finishing a travel assignment in Denver (and taking one more in Phoenix just to make sure he was serious), Kristin moved back to Northern Virginia and it turned out to be her best move yet!

Kristin and Jonathan love the natural beauty and hiking in the Shenandoah Valley of Northern Virginia, so Jonathan had the idea to propose to Kristin at a scenic overlook on a Shenandoah National Park hike. This… did not go exactly as planned. He had made a reservation at the Stonewall Jackson Hotel in Staunton Virginia, a quaint historic hotel he and Kristin had stayed at before and had come to love. The plan was to have a relaxing evening at the hotel, and then propose the next day while on a hike. Unfortunately, Kristin came down with food poisoning the night before the trip and was sick all weekend, forcing Jonathan to move the hotel reservation to the following weekend. When the next weekend arrived, the weather did not cooperate as rain was forecasted the entire time. Not wanting to propose to Kristin in the pouring rain on a hike, Jonathan adjusted his plan, and surprised Kristin with an engagement ring and champagne in their hotel room while getting ready for dinner. They went out to enjoy a nice dinner and came back to pop the bubbly and call family and friends. They spent the next day on a rainy hike followed by a winery visit to round out their celebration.