Sarah and Dean grew up on opposite sides of the same town: Crystal Lake, IL. Although they did not meet until high school, they like to think that there were many moments when their paths had crossed prior to their official meeting. Sarah and Dean’s sister, Alli, both attended Summer’s Academy of Dance. Was Dean in the audience at the recitals, watching a six year-old Sarah perform? Dean and his father, Jon, played hockey at the Crystal Ice House where Sarah’s brothers and cousins played. Were Sarah and Dean together in the lobby or could they have sat together in the stands? As they would later discover, the Lesters and the Jepsens live very similar lives. Did they cross paths at the Joseph’s Marketplace? At Veterans Acres park? At Around the Clock? Who knows.

Anyways… they eventually did meet. In fact, they sat next to one another in Mr. Terhaar’s Global Studies class at Prairie Ridge High School. Sarah was a freshman and Dean a sophomore. Dean remembers seeing Sarah on his first day of class and feeling like time had stopped. He had a feeling about her. They would occasionally talk in-class. Sarah remembers interacting with Dean during one of their in-class debates. Ironically, they were on opposite sides. While two of their classmates were engaging in a heated argument, dominating the discussion, Sarah sat quietly with her hand raised. Sarah does not remember what she had to say, but she does vividly remember Dean interrupting the debate to say “hey–let Sarah Lester talk.” Later in the semester, they worked together on a project. Dean completed most of it before Sarah had even opened the Google Doc (yeesh). Sarah remembers feeling oddly emotional as she was walking out of that class on the last day of the school year; although she had not tied that emotion to Dean at the moment, she now likes to think she had some sort of premonition.

Sarah and Dean became friends on Facebook during the summer after Global Studies had ended. He was sixteen years old, and she was only fifteen.

During the next school year, Sarah joined the theater set crew; Dean had been a long-time member. Dean would build sets for the school plays; Sarah would paint them. During that fall semester, they started texting. The initial text message conversations pretty much revolved around the show “Breaking Bad” which was airing its final season. Although it’s a great show, their Breaking Bad conversations were really just an excuse to chat… and they knew that.

Eventually, Dean asked Sarah to go and see a movie at the local AMC. He recalls laying on his bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to hype himself up before his parents dropped him off at the show. He knew that he was going to ask Sarah to be his girlfriend, and he was so nervous. Finally, as the two were walking out of the movie, he summoned the courage and asked Sarah if she wanted to keep going out– to which Sarah said “of course” (Dean remembers that very well).

A few years later, Dean and Sarah both ended up at Lake Forest College together, where they mainly studied English and other related subjects (their favorite). After graduating college, Sarah decided to pursue a master’s degree, and Dean decided to go to law school. In the Summer of 2020, they moved into their first apartment together.

The day after Christmas, 2021, Dean proposed in the town of Crystal Lake, where their story started. He asked Sarah if she wanted to go and get tacos from Las Cumbres downtown (which was a trick). As they were driving, Sarah was confused because Dean kept refusing to call in their order. They parked underneath the christmas lights, next to the clock-tower where they loved to sit as kids. Dean played Sarah a slide-show of their favorite photos together over the years, and asked her to get out of the car. At this point, Sarah knew what was going on. He got out of the car, and got down on one knee, and asked Sarah to be his wife. Just like at the AMC, Sarah said “of course”.

For nearly ten years now, Sarah and Dean have stayed by each other’s side. They have gone on lots of vacations (Colorado, Door County, Toronto, Michigan, Boston), seen rock concerts, cooked delicious meals, raised a pet tarantula (she’s friendly), and best of all... they have built a life together.

Needless to say, this wedding has been a long time coming. They couldn’t be happier that it is almost here, and that you all will be joining them in celebration.

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Co-written by Sarah & Dean XOXO

©2023, Lester-Jepsen Productions