So how does a Midwest boy from South Dakota end up marrying an East Coast girl from New Jersey? Well, this story is 10 years in the making... One night back in 2014 Andy started to message Jacquie on a Facebook group geared towards night shift EMS workers. Him working as an EMT, her working as an EMS director and paramedic. Both working the night shift, they began chatting throughout those shifts. Nights turned into days, days back into nights, many times both, sometimes talking for hours on FaceTime. Bonding over a shared career field and a love of hockey. Over those shifts a friendship formed. One day in July, Andy decided he was going to make a trip out to NJ to visit some family and Jacquie offered to let him crash at her place while he was out there. Andy was able to visit family but he and Jacquie were also able to spend some time exploring NYC and hanging out before he left to return home to South Dakota. Shortly after, in October, Jacquie decided to make the trip out to South Dakota to visit Andy and see what the Midwest had to offer. She saw her first buffalo (besides Harry), hiked up a mountain, ate chislic for the first time, and saw what a truly unpolluted star filled sky looked like from the middle of the Badlands (ask her about that story!). Two short months later Andy decided to move to New Jersey to pursue a new job, and spend some more time with family. His plan was to temporarily, or so we thought, stay with Jacquie while waiting to move in with family. That move didn't happen, so he stayed with Jacquie while trying to figure things out. Fortunately, figuring things out meant staying where he was and 9 years, 3 dogs, and a house later and they are getting married (finally as everyone reminds us).

Andy has always had a knack for winning random things. Tickets to concerts, events at the wineries, but this time, it was something a little bigger. Andy surprised Jacquie letting her know that he won a trip to an all inclusive resort through a radio station contest. After not taking a vacation for awhile, they decided to extend the trip a few extra days. They selected the Sandals Royal Plantation Resort in Ocho Rios, Jamaica and set off for 7 days of sun and relaxation by the Caribbean Ocean. On Jacquie's birthday, while out to dinner at the wonderful French restaurant at the resort, Andy excused himself from the table. Jacquie figured he was running to the bathroom or talking to the butler (!!) that has been taking care of us during our stay. Taking longer than expected, Andy returned and sat back down. Jacquie had been telling Andy how much she was enjoying the trip, thanking him for an amazing birthday, and reminding him that she loves the life that the two of them have built with each other. Shortly after, Andy interrupted Jacquie to simply say, "so do you want to get married?" before showing her a beautiful ring that he had designed, telling her that the ring was as unique and one of a kind as she was. She obviously said yes, after asking if he was sure and if he was serious. Andy then stood up to tell the whole restaurant, while Jacquie tried to shrink in her chair (she is a total introvert). Everyone cheered and one man told Andy that is was about damn time (which became a theme over the next few days!). We spent the rest of the night laughing, having a few drinks, and singing at The Wobbly Peacock with a wonderful group of people from the resort. We spent the remainder of our time in Jamaica jumping off cliffs into the Blue Hole, scaling the side of Dunn's River Falls, eating scotch bonnet pepper sauce on jerk chicken, and loving every moment of the trip just being able to spend time relaxing together. We met some wonderful people along the way and are already trying to decide when they can return for their honeymoon!