Jesse and I were actually in very close proximity to each other for most of our lives, but never met! We both grew up in Pittsburgh, about 30 minutes away from each other. We both attended Grove City College for 3 years together, probably at times inches away from each other. We even attended the same wedding a few months before meeting each other! But I believe, by God’s grace, we missed each other for 26 years. During that time, we both met Jesus, grew as individuals, found our own purposes and callings in life, and learned what it truly means to love people as Christ loves us. God prepares us for the blessings He plans to give us, and although the waiting and preparation season was hard, it was well worth it! We may have missed each other for years, but we met right on time.

One weekend at the end of September, I drove to Northern Virginia with my friend Bre to visit with my twin sister Ciara. We started the weekend at our friend Alex Treser’s birthday party where we got to catch up with some friends and meet some new people. I recognized Jesse from college, so I asked him, “Did you go to Grove City?”

Turns out we had a lot more in common than just GCC, and we spent the rest of the night talking about our memories from college, our favorite movies and books, and even shared a bit of our testimonies. I left the party with Bre that night with a big smile on my face and told her, “I am so smitten! Jesse is so great!”

Jesse ended up texting me a few weeks later to ask me on a date - I was thrilled! Our first date he drove all the way to Pittsburgh to take me to a Steelers game! Most weekends after that were spent driving back and forth to see each other, and over time it was clear we both wanted to spend the rest of our lives together!

Engagement Story:
So I (Jesse) got to thinking about how best to ask Savannah to for her hand in marriage. She thought I was WAY too busy to plan everything out (and holy buns it took a lot of mental power), but by the grace of God and very supportive family and friends, the plan was set!

I spoke to Savannah’s mom and dad (thanks Doug and Belinda!), got a ring, got a engagement photographer (thanks Robbie!), and got a location. During this Savannah was none the wiser. And then the day came to pop the question!

I had told Savannah about a faux meeting with my father at Phipps Conservatory, and due to the fact that it was Father’s Day weekend Savannah fell for this hook, line, and sinker. I took her to Phipps, asked her questions during the drive down, and remained as composed as I could.

We got to Phipps, made our way to the Japanese Garden and then I gave her a letter. As I shooed away some older ladies who didn’t fully understand what I was doing, I dropped to my knee, and heard the words every man wants to hear from his future bride: “ARE YOU SERIOUS???” After nodding my head yes and telling her how much she meant to me, I asked Savannah to marry me and she said, “YES!”

We both wore smiles that I think outshone the sun and our photographer popped out of the bushes and commemorated the day with pictures. This was a precious day, and we needed it to go on, so we went and celebrated with our families at Narcissi Winery. It was a joyous day, full of love and life. I’m very thankful I got so much help and we are so excited to share this wedding experience with all of you! May God bless this engagement season of ours, and also bless you who read this with the knowledge that you are loved so deeply, and we can’t wait to share our marriage celebration with you!