Ours is definitely a modern love story. We began talking in August 2021 on the dating app Upward (or as Laura calls it, Christian Tinder). After dropping her phone on her face mid-swipe, Laura accidentally swiped the wrong way on Jake and had to upgrade to the paid version of the app to undo the action and be able to match. From the moment we started texting there was an immediate connection. We got to know more about each other, growing closer through our love for God - and baseball. While distance was daunting with Jake in Pennsylvania and Laura in Connecticut, we decided to give it a shot and finally met in person 3 months after we started talking.

We met halfway in Poughkeepsie, NY in October (our favorite month). Jake will never forget waiting for Laura anxiously, then seeing her pull up in a yellow bug, panicking about the lack of parking. We walked the Walkway Over the Hudson, grabbed coffee at Crafted Kup, and walked Locus Grove Estate where we sat at a bench by the pond for hours talking. There we decided we were dating, and there, at the same bench two years later, we got engaged.

It's been a wonderful two years together. We've grown in countless ways and have experienced so many memories. We're each others best friends. We can't wait to see what this next year of engagement brings. We're counting down the days to our wedding and can't wait to share our big day with you.