We're Getting Married!

The story all begins when a mutual friend asked Alexis if she would show someone around Nashville while he was visiting. A self-proclaimed Nashville tour guide, Alexis obliged. The “someone,” of course, turned out to be none other than Jordan. After meeting on Broadway in Nashville (if you know, you know), they instantly hit it off. Jordan distinctly remembers Alexis dancing around a group of people who all pulled out their phones to record her because of how FIRE her moves were. He remembers thinking, "who IS this girl?" From then on, Alexis and Jordan stayed in touch until Jordan moved to Clarksville a few months later for the Army. Alexis, who was hosting one of her typically awesome backyard parties at her house, invited Jordan over, at which point Jordan and Christian (Alexis' brother and the wing man at the center of it all) first became big buddies. Recognizing the potential between Jordan and Alexis, Christian set up a dinner for the three of them. Right before arrival time, Christian called Alexis to say he was setting her up with Jordan and wouldn’t be at dinner. That surprise dinner date became the first of many.

Although the first date was an accident, their first time vacationing together certainly wasn’t. Alexis boldly asked Jordan to join her and her family for their annual trip to Lake Placid, NY before they were even officially dating. Then again, Jordan had been over to the Cook's house for dinner to "meet the family" just a few weeks after Jordan moved to Nashville. If y'all know Alexis, you know that she doesn't mess around. Luckily, they were officially dating by the time the trip to Lake Placid actually came around. That trip solidified that their relationship had the makings of something serious. They spent hours on the lake, where Alexis proved she was a complete rockstar dancing WHILE wake surfing; they prayed after sunrise Bible studies; they helped make Mr. Cook's Famous Sourdough Pancakes; they had campfire conversations; and they journeyed on hikes with the fam before rewarding themselves with Donnelly's ice cream. The idyllic trip took a turn for the tragic while the family was playing “kneeboard-tube-wars” on the lake (it’s exactly what it sounds like). While riding the tube at eyes-watering speed, Jordan reached out to knock someone else off the kneeboard and overextended his arm. When the boat came back around to pick him up, Jordan was treading water, holding his shoulder with a grimace that made it clear it was not a joke. Moments later, Alexis and Jordan were in an ambulance, Jordan groaning with an entire joint clearly out of place. After a few hours in the hospital, the pair made it back to the house, just in time for the 4th of July fireworks. Laying beside each other in complete exhaustion, with Jordan’s arm in a sling, the pair whispered those famous three words (I love you) for the first time.

After Lake Placid, Alexis and Jordan took a ferry across the lake to Vermont, where Jordan's family anxiously awaited the first meeting of this special girl that they'd been hearing so much about. As Jordan's grandparents walked hand-in-hand to pick them up, a camera crew appeared out of the bushes. That’s right. Alexis’ entire first meeting of the family is filmed for all to see and will be airing on Netflix shortly. (Backstory: Jordan's grandparents are the stars of a Netflix documentary about love and were filmed consecutively for a year. Their all-American, Vermont-farm love story is that heartwarming). The time spent with Jordan’s family was an absolute blast and further solidified Alexis and Jordan’s relationship. After their summer travels, Jordan and Alexis continued to grow together. Between their daily rituals of morning Bible study and nightly “highs and lows,” they became inseparable. Jordan admired and supported Alexis as she and her Co-Founder, Corbin, continued to build their social enterprise, Unlocked, while Alexis admired and supported Jordan’s endeavors as a platoon leader in the Army (she couldn’t fathom his 0300 wake ups for ruck marches). During Sunday night dinners at the Cook’s house, Momma Cook QUICKLY converted Jordan from a vegan to a carnivore with her delicious meals.

While the pair has embarked on many adventures, here’s one anecdote of note: Jordan and Alexis flew to Denver one weekend for a 36-hour trip to visit Alexis’ best friend, Viv, in Aspen. Although Viv picked them up from Denver on Friday night, she wasn’t able to take them back on Sunday. Having never quite gotten around to buying bus tickets, the pair decided to hitchhike (nearly a 4 hour drive one way). Recording the entire thing in case the footage would later be used as evidence for their missing bodies, Alexis and Jordan carried their suitcases in one hand and stuck out their thumbs with the other hand. After about an hour on the side of the road, the fun started to wear off. As they surveyed their other options, they realized 1) there was a terrible wreck on the highway and their few hours of buffer had turned into about 10 minutes 2) all other options were either nonexistent or prohibitively expensive. Alexis and Jordan began praying. No joke as soon as they opened their eyes, a small car pulled up, and the driver motioned them into the backseat. Recognizing that Spanish was the primary method of communication, Alexis began translating for the couple, whose names are Arturo and Patricia (lest you think Jordan is a slacker, he speaks Arabic and French). Miraculously, the hospitable drivers shared that they were on their way home from Mass, where the priest had spoken of giving without receiving. “We knew it was God asking us to enact what we had learned when we saw you two on the side of the road, and we are honored that God would give us this opportunity to show love.” Only 20 miles from their own home, Patricia and Arturo vehemently insisted upon driving the remaining 180 miles to the Denver airport and even stayed in the waiting lot until Alexis and Jordan texted that they were taking off. Despite the translating, that car-ride turned out to be one of the best conversations possible. And yes, Patricia and Arturo are invited to the wedding.

Jordan left for deployment to the border in December, which has allowed him and Alexis to continue growing together through long distance. They’re also fortunate to be able to meet monthly in Laredo, Texas (until COVID-19, that is). Although they’re VERY ready for the distance to end, it has only strengthened their compatibility, communication, and cohesion. Alexis and Jordan are ecstatic for their future together. They’re currently in the process of buying a house in Pleasant View, TN: smack dab in between where Alexis works in Nashville and where Jordan works in Clarksville. Although it’s a small town, Alexis felt a wave of peace about the decision when she most recently visited and met her future neighbors. Apparently, the group has weekly Saturday brunches, which they promptly invited Alexis and Jordan to, yelling “welcome to the village!” Alexis and Jordan will be living in the area for at least the next three years. After, they plan to either start an MBA program together or apply for a grant to travel and write a book about the intersection of business and global impact (if you’re interested, they can share their book outline, reading list, and thesis with you). They’re both ready and excited to see what the Lord has in store for their lives, including travels, business, social impact, wealth management, consulting, and a family of their own (one day!)

We know it's not always going to be easy. Jordan is a hyper-planner. Alexis is a hyper-hippie. We believe that love is a choice and that everyday we have to wake up and choose each other, over and over again. Part of this commitment to marriage means staying together through the ups and downs, and we are more than ready to face adversity together. We are also SOOO excited to journey through life with y'all, and can't wait for joint-family vacations, holiday parties, silly Christmas cards, church BBQs, community Bible studies, coffee dates, girls nights over margaritas, guys nights over beer, church outings, deep talks about life, our future kids' play dates, workout sessions, book clubs, camping trips, beach days, world travels, and a plethora of just amazing memories with y'all! We can't wait to grow old together and live a lifetime of memories in pursuit of the Lord in all that we do. We are just two best friends that can't wait to spend forever together, in pursuit of God, service to others, and joyful moments alongside family and friends.