Welcome Dinner

L&J Wedding and Reception

Treedom Villas & Vardos Wilderness

Ceremony

Reception

Sunday Funday

Our Wedding

The time between August 1, 2023 and August 1, 2024 - what many of you know as the "Year of Lori" - was supposed to be a year of no dating for me. God had a different plan. I had a dating app out of boredom really, which in case you didn't know, updates your location when you travel. That's why Jake ran across the profile of an American girl living in China somehow located in Cape Town. He thought it was a scam, but also thought I was cute, so lucky for me, he swiped right. I read Jake's profile but with only a week in South Africa visiting my buddy (who also lives in China) and his family, what was the point? I thought Jake was quite handsome in his pictures and since his profile indicated that he was looking for new friends, I thought: That's fair. I'm not the type of girl who breezes into town and leads a man on. Friends, however, I could do. Lucky for him, I swiped right. We connected and chatted throughout the week. We had no plans to meet up as I was beholden to my buddy, and Jake had to work. It wasn't until Friday, the day before I was set to return to China, that we connected on WhatsApp. I asked Jake if he had to work, and he informed me that he took the day off because he had fallen in his shower the night before. I was concerned and urged him to go to the doctor. He wasn't concerned and asked me if I'd like to meet up. I spent the whole early morning trying to figure out how to ask my buddy if we could take an hour apart. I waffled back and forth because WHAT WAS THE POINT? of meeting this guy. So I remained quiet. My buddy and I decided we would hop on the red bus and head down to Boulder Beach to see the penguins, but as fate would have it, my buddy forgot his hat at his sister's house. In the South Africa summer sun, we couldn't not have the hat. So we sat at a coffee shop waiting for the hat to arrive when finally I said, "It's going to be too late to go see the penguins. We should just hang out at the mall." My buddy, Bryan, agreed. Mustering up all the courage I had, I continued, "I think I'm gonna meet that guy for a coffee. You good if we take an hour apart from one another?" He was. I messaged Jake and told him I had exactly one hour I could give him. We made plans to meet. I wasn't dressed for a date, but fortunately a girl always knows how to use samples at a makeup store. What can I say? I wanted to look pretty. I arrived first, bought myself a coffee, and sat down to read my book. Jake arrived and sneakily took a picture of me from behind, then texted it to me. I quickly turned around and saw this handsome blond man with the goofiest smile. He ordered his coffee and sat down. The time with him flew by like seconds. Jake had many questions and leaned in listening intently. At the end of the hour, we hugged and I asked if we could be friends. He said yes and asked for another hug. We parted ways, both thinking what a shame it was that we lived on different continents. This really could have been something. We texted that afternoon after coffee. We both wished there was more time. I half-jokingly blurted out an invitation to hang with me at the airport the following day for a few hours. I didn't know if I was serious, nor did I know if I believed him when he responded with a simple, "Done." I mean, who goes on a date to the airport?? Airports aren't close to anyone's house. It is expensive to park there. It is expensive to eat or drink anything. No, no, no...this guy ain't coming to the airport for a date with a girl he's never going to see again. Except... He did. You might not think it possible to know somebody's soul in such a short time, but you would be wrong. His soul knew my soul, and my soul knew his. It was an incredible two hours and an amazing first kiss. We held hands and talked. He cried. When we parted, I felt like perhaps meeting again was a mistake. What in the world could come of this? Him in South Africa. Me in China. I don't do long distance, and neither does he. I kept asking myself what was the point of all of this? I boarded my plane only to receive no less than 12 of the same message, give or take a few variations, that read: I will see you again. This is the first promise Jake ever made to me, and it was one that I didn't believe he would keep. Except... He did. I returned to China, and we connected all day, every day. After about a week, he informed me that I was his girlfriend. He was shocked that I didn't already know. He wrote in a message, "Did you just get the memo?" to which I responded, "Yeah, sort of!" Was this man really going to come to China for a third date!? Yes. It was a difficult few months because of work. Money for tickets and visas needed to be budgeted. At every turn there were any number of things that could have prevented Jake from keeping his promise to see me again. But, nothing did, and somewhere in the middle of the distance and the muck, we fell in love. Jake landed in China on April 27, 2024, 10 weeks to the day from the time we parted in Cape Town. Coming together in China was the first real time we spent together. Here we were existing in my Ningbo apartment, getting to learn each other's quirks and idiosyncrasies. Learning how to make room for one another, comfort one another, deal with the ups and the downs, learning how to resolve conflict, and what it means to love somebody without judgement, harshness, expectation, or selfishness. We were learning what the other needs and how to speak the other's love language. We were learning not how to fall in love, but what was required for each of us to stay in love. I remember a conversation we had early on about Jake's childhood growing up on the farm. In that conversation I learned that Jake and I were looking for exactly the same thing, despite getting there on different paths. We were both looking for that person we could call home. The first time I hugged Jake in China, it felt like I had come home. His embrace was unlike any other I ever had in my life, and it wasn't long before we both knew that we wanted to get married. He found his home in my eyes. I found my home in his arms. We had finally found one another. This man of mine continually proved himself to me, even when I wasn't sure if we would work out. Somehow, he eased my fear, showed me he was trustworthy, and even took care of me when I had to have an unexpected surgery on my spine at a public Chinese hospital. In many ways I intentionally and unintentionally put his feet to the fire, and he walked over blazing coals to get to me. Throughout my entire dating life, partner after partner told me what I wanted was unrealistic, unachievable, and simply did not exist. They were wrong because in Jake, I have found a forever that is exactly perfect for me. If Bryan hadn't invited me to Cape Town. If his family hadn't said yes to me coming. If I didn't have the money to change plans and buy a ticket. If Bumble hadn't automatically updated my location. If Jake had believed my profile was fake. If Jake hadn't fallen that day in the shower. If Bryan hadn't forgotten his hat. Those are all the things that had to fall in line even for Jake and I to meet, never mind all the other things that had to fall into place for him to come to China. Thank GOD there is a God who ordains that which is meant to be. First Corinthians 13:4-8 says: Love is patient and is kind; love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud, doesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil; doesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. Ours never will. I love Jake with my whole heart. I am committed to him forever and for always. He is my penguin, and I am his. Until our last breaths.

Our Story - Lori's Perspective

This must be a scam! American girl living in China here in Cape Town? I don't know. She is cute though... This is exactly what I thought when I came across Lori's profile on my dating APP. Left or right? What's the worst that can happen...I'll never hear from her? That's not a new experience and it's not like there is a giant selection of women to chose from on this APP. With this in mind, I decided to swipe right. I didn't expect a response, so I was surprised when the cute American girl living in China visiting South Africa messaged me. Truth be told, I was skeptical, still thinking this "person" might be a fake. After a few exchanges, I realized that she wasn't a fake. Lori cut through the small talk right away, opening up about her love of and search for sea glass. Right away I knew this girl was different...was special. Even though I could see these things, I couldn't help but ask the question out loud, "What is the point!?" Why try to meet? I had to work all week, and she was busy with her friend. Oh, and she doesn't live on my continent. I didn't realize it then, the way I do now, but the Divine intervened. I went to take a shower on Thursday. When I was finished, I went to grab my towel only to find that it wasn't there. For whatever reason, I forgot to rehang it the day before. I scurried across the ceramic tile down the hall where I slipped and bashed my head on the floor. It took me a minute to come to. I am fortunate I only had a concussion instead of having blood pour out of my head. I knew I would need to take the day off on Friday. Friday. Lori and I finally decided to connect on WhatsApp. We had been chatting on the dating APP all week. That morning we chatted, and Lori shared pictures, mostly of her breakfast and the wineries she visited the day before. I felt a bit dizzy and sort of slow (due to my concussion), but when Lori asked if I was working, I told her what happened. She wanted me to go to the doctor. Instead, I causally asked her if she wanted to meet. She did, but didn't know if she could get away. I gave her a few options, even offering to drive out to the town she was staying in. She told me that she might go see the penguins. I would have loved to take her to see them. Honestly, I still didn't see the point of meeting, but this was the most authentic girl I have come across maybe in my whole life. She asked me to meet her at the V&amp;A Waterfront mall. I've learned in my life that some times, you don't have to ask questions, you just have to jump. So I decided to meet her. I'm so glad I did. I arrived at the Starbucks and saw her from behind. I snapped a picture of her while she read her book and sent it on WhatsApp. Her head popped up, and she turned around. She was beautiful, and I was more than intrigued. I got my coffee and walked her way. We said hello, and from that moment, I was captivated by her eyes. I asked her all kinds of questions about the book she was reading, about her writing, about China, and what she thought of South Africa. Time flew, and before I knew it, she had to go. I just kept thinking: Don't go. Stay. Stay forever. We could really have something here. Instead of telling her any of this, I just stood up. We hugged, and she told me I could kiss her on the cheek if I wanted. I did. She asked if we could be friends, and I asked for another hug. I've never met anyone who embraced me the way Lori did the first time we met and every time after. Lori's arms are my favorite place to be. I walked back to my car, questioning God the whole way. Why would He let me meet the woman of my dreams only to take her away. We both wanted to see each other again. When Lori invited me to the airport the next day, I didn't think twice. I even cancelled plans I had so I could see her again. When I got there, I found Lori standing in line, waiting to check in. She was dancing to music only she heard playing, bopping around without caring who looked at her or what they thought. This girl was the most adorable creature I have ever laid eyes on. I couldn't let this be the end. I watched her for a few minutes before walking up behind her. She greeted me with that smile of hers and a hug. We got her checked in for her flight and headed upstairs for a drink. We talked and held hands for about two hours. Every moment with her felt right. The way she looked at me. The things she said. The way her lips touched mine as we shared our first kiss at the coffee shop in the airport. By the end of our time together, I was so overcome with emotion, and I knew two things for certain: This girl was made for me, and I would move mountains to see her again. I did move mountains. For the next 10 weeks, I and we, overcame every obstacle that stood in the way of me getting to China by the grace of God. Getting to China wasn't easy either. Lori was quite clever with how to book flights, and fortunately, had the financial resources to book multiple refundable flights for me. Applying for the visa was challenging as it was rejected at first, but Lori was able to get someone to write the letter I needed and was able to also book a hotel for the duration of my stay because the Chinese embassy needed to tick boxes. When I was approved, it wasn't for the three months we thought it would be, but instead for 30 days. You can imagine our disappointment, however, Lori was sure that we could apply for an extension once I was in China. I haven't traveled outside of Africa since I lived in London as a young adult. The idea of going to China was crazy. But I promised Lori I would see her again. I had to keep this promise. Once again, I didn't think or question. I got on a plane and traveled for 24 hours to see my future wife. I knew she was the woman I would marry. I had fallen in love with Lori long before I got on that plane, but she didn't want to hear it at first. She didn't think it was possible to love someone after only spending three hours with them in person and uncountable hours texting and video chatting from across the world. She was wrong. I did and do love her, and she fell in love with me despite trying not to. Those early days were filled flirting, fun, and sometimes fights. Even in the hard times, even when I was frustrated, even when Lori wasn't sure, I always was. Leaving this woman never crossed my mind...not even once. China was, at first, difficult to adjust to. Every day was an exercise in managing problems. Lori had to have unexpected spinal surgery three weeks after I arrived. I can promise you sleeping in a Chinese hospital for six nights taking care of Lori was not something I expected to do. For those of you who know Lori, you know she is not a good sick person, nor a cooperative patient. Yet here we were forced into a situation where I had to face Lori's impatience, frustration, and easy annoyance. Lori has a lot of pride and the loss of her independence and subsequent reliance on me was not easy for her, and therefore, not easy for me. I hadn't seen this side of Lori, but we overcame it with a lot of tears, talking, and tenderness. We learned a lot about each other in the times that one or both of us experienced distress. We both gained more experience in learning how to love each other, in good times and in bad. China and Lori became easier for me. I saw a woman who loved me with everything, who accepted me unconditionally, and who was my home. I know with Lori by my side, there isn't anything we can't face, overcome, or accomplish. She is my best friend, my biggest support, and the love of my life. She is my penguin, and I am hers. Every day and until the end...for the rest of our lives.

Our Story - Jake's Perspective

Jake and Lori in China

Engagement Photos

Coming Soon!

Our Photos

Flying to South Africa

If you are planning on spending the week with us, it would be best to book a multi-city ticket, flying into George, South Africa and out of Cape Town, South Africa. We will update suggested travel dates once Lori gets her 2025-2026 calendar from school. Here are some trusted websites we use to book flights. You can, of course, go through your preferred airline website as well. <a href="https://www.flysaa.com/en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">South African Airways </a>and <a href="https://www.emirates.com/us/english/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Emirates</a> are very good for international flights! <a href="https://hk.trip.com/flights/to-george/airfares-grj?allianceid=1020778&amp;sid=4143828&amp;locale=en_hk&amp;curr=hkd&amp;ppcid=ckid-45693576047_adid-703975582708_akid-kwd-383157717492_adgid-164786819460&amp;utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=12766587543&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjw7s20BhBFEiwABVIMrfZmRllFOCwxAAMhpsRHqoqDXambNk2Q5BjxjDJdKIY_POZ4ow13DRoCIdUQAvD_BwE" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Trip.com</a><a href="https://www.skyscanner.com/flights-to/grj/cheap-flights-to-george-airport.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Skyscanner</a><a href="https://www.expedia.com/Cheap-Flights-To-George.d1377.Travel-Guide-Flights" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Expedia</a> American Passports are granted visa-free entry into South Africa!

Transportation

Zeelie Taxi

Wilderness Express

Uber is also available in South Africa with the APP on your phone.

Nearby Hotels

Coming to South Africa

Friday, February 13

Treedom Villas and Vardos 7 pm

Saturday, February 14

L&J Wedding & Reception

Ceremony Start Time 5:00 pm Pre-Dinner Drinks &amp; Nibbles 6:00 pm Dinner 8:30 pm Party Time!9:30 pm

Sunday, February 15

TBD

Wedding Weekend Schedule of Events

There are many things to do in the area and we will have some special activities planned. However, you are also free to venture off on your own. Here is a list of some things that are available to do: HikingCanoeingFarmers Markets (Saturday)River SafarisBird WatchingMountain BikingHorseback RidingZip liningRestaurants &amp; PubsBakeries &amp; Coffee Shops Fortunately, our venue has put together a Magic Magazine full of all the resources you could need to have an incredible time while you are visiting. If there is something special you'd like to do and don't see it here, let us know and we will help facilitate your activity!

Treedom Magic Magazine

Click <a href="https://simplebooklet.com/treedommagicmagazine#page=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a> to view the online magazine booklet!

Things to Do in the Garden Route

Logistics

Money 

Activities

Random Questions We Anticipate You Having

If you have questions that are not answered here or anywhere else on our website, please message Lori or Jake directly and ask so we can add it here!

Lori & Jake

Lori & Jake

Things to Do in the Garden Route

Treedom Magic Magazine