Big Day Getaway

As Jake would say they met the old fashioned way...on Tinder! Jake and Brittany met in July of 2019 while Jake was visiting, from Colorado , his family in Washington. Brittany was home for the summer from school. They had their first date at 10 Barrel Brewing in Portland, Oregon on July 11th. They hit it off instantly and both felt an immediate connection. The two saw each other as much as possible that summer. Brittany was excited to show Jake the beauty of Portland, Oregon. They explored awesome hikes, viewpoints, concert venues, beautiful river spots, and her favorite restaurants/ bars. Jake took Brittany on a trip to Vegas... a family trip to Vegas. That’s where Brittany learned that being amazing is a Bailey thing. Jake met Brittany's family for the first time at a river in Portland where they paddle boarded and jet skied. That was the day Jake knew he wanted to move to Washington. As the summer came to an end they were sad they would have a 5 hour distance between them but couldn't help keeping in contact. Brittany visited home during Christmas and the couple made their relationship official on New Years! Jake moved to Washington to be closer to family and Brittany. The couple did long distance for 2 years while Brittany finished school. In August of 2022 they decided to kiss long distance GOODBYE and moved to Newport Beach, CA together.

I knew for a while that Brittany was the girl I would marry. I wasn't sure how to start the ring shopping process so I casually brought up the idea of looking at rings with her, not knowing it would lead to what it did. You can ask her what I mean... After months of searching ( and Brittany sharing ring ideas) I had envisioned the perfect ring for her. My sister-in-law and older brother were a huge help in connecting me with the right jeweler to customize her DREAM ring. I wanted to choose the right ring so I decided to make it. Once I bought the ring, I hid it in an old army bag, a spot I knew Brittany would never check. (And yes I later found out she did try to look for it). I almost asked someone to hold on to it because knowing me, I would have a couple of drinks and couldn't help but show her what I bought. I held strong and thankfully didn’t blow it. I held onto the ring for a few months, carefully planning what I hoped would be the perfect proposal. We had a family trip to Washington and Oregon planned for Christmas, and I knew I wanted to propose with our loved ones around. I wasn't sure how to do it. A couple of months before the trip, one of Brittany's friends asked if we wanted to do a photo shoot. That's when it clicked for me; I could propose during the shoot. I reached out to that friend (shout out to Kristen), and she agreed to the idea. We spent weeks brainstorming ideas for the location and how I would pop the question. To throw Brittany off, I told her I had bought us a photo shoot as a Christmas gift, and I would say things like “One day I will get you your ring”, "give me at least 6 months" ect. I even took her to look at rings the night before the proposal photo shoot. On the day of the photo shoot, everything was falling into place. I was so sure someone was going to blow it and say something but to our luck no one did. We got drinks with my parents down town Vancouver, WA before the shoot. We headed to Cathedral park in Portland. When we got there Brittany said that it was a beautiful park she has always wanted to go to. There is a big beautiful bridge. We were about 5 photos in and we were standing back to back, once I got the signal, I turned around and got on one knee and that is when I asked her to marry me. But the surprises didn't stop there. After the proposal, I took Brittany to the place of our first date, Ten Barrel Brewing, for a private moment before sharing the news with our families. Little did she know; I had more surprises. While we were at Ten Barrel, our families were setting up a surprise engagement party. We shared a moment together and then headed off to her parent's house "to show off the ring". And to her surprise, everyone was there to congratulate us. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect proposal, with the help of our friends and families, I don’t think I could have pulled it off by myself.

The couple wanted a venue that would encapsulate a special time in their love story, their time in California. Their dream was to exchange vows surrounded by the beauty of the beach, swaying palm trees, or a touch of the tropics. After searching hundreds of venues on the internet they found one that stood out from the rest. After setting foot on Botanica's grounds during their tour, they felt as if they had been magically transported to a tropical oasis. From the venue they headed to Carlsbad beach to grab a drink and discuss the wedding venue. They went to Barrel Republic (venue for the welcome party). The two went on vacation to Hawaii, accompanied by Aunt LeeAnn and Uncle Meade. As they strolled through the tropical paradise of Maui, memories of Botanica flooded their minds, and they couldn't help but dream of getting married in that breathtaking venue. They called that day and their original date had been reserved. THOUGH there was a new opening on the 21st of July. It was a date filled with significance, as the 21st (of December) marked the day Jake proposed. Jake and Brittany celebrated with crazy dancing and kisses on the balcony in Maui, Hawaii. (Yes Brittany had happy tears). They celebrated with coconut mojitos with Aunt LeeAnn and Uncle Meade. The couple can't wait for you to see why they fell in love with Botanica!