In the summer of 2011, Rene and her sister, Melanie, were having an end–of-summer bash. They had received a couple messages from friends asking if they could bring another friend along - our mother was not very happy about the increasing size of this party, but Jake Pallotta, the officiant of Ben and Rene’s wedding, had asked if he could bring his friend along. “He’s new to Jackson and he would love to meet some people!” Jake exclaimed. Rene hesitantly, only slightly scared of her mom’s reaction to yet another plus-one, said yes. That new boy was the one and only Ben Seaman. Funny enough, both Rene and Ben don’t remember meeting each other that night.

Luckily, they do remember the second time they met! Rene fell down the stairs and landed right at Ben’s feet. In a short time, they would both be the ones falling for each other. Their friendship blossomed into a relationship their sophomore year of high school. They dated for 6 months and decided to part ways but rekindled their existing love for each other their senior year. Ben and Rene stayed together their freshman year of college where Rene attended Ohio University and Ben played basketball at Baldwin Wallace University. Although Ben loved the game of basketball, he ultimately decided to pursue the game of love instead. He transferred to OU his next year.

Not only did they strengthen their bond as a couple throughout their college journey, but they also understood the importance of growing as individuals. These valuable developments further cemented the union of Ben and Rene. They have made great memories throughout their young adult lives including vacations, movie nights, concerts, and their favorite – staying in, ordering food, and watching reality TV.

Ben and Rene have been incredibly blessed to continually grow and learn from each other throughout their years of life together. Ben proposed to Rene on October 16th, 2022 at the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego, California and they are so excited to start this new chapter of life as a married couple. They are ELATED to finally celebrate their love with all of their family and friends.