Five years ago, a girl requested to follow me on Instagram because she thought I was cute. At the time, Anne and I were both sophomores at the University of Maryland Business School. We were both participating in the KPMG Externship program that upcoming summer. Before the externship, KPMG sent out a program booklet featuring all the externs who would be at the Tyson's Corner office that summer. Anne followed me after seeing my picture in the booklet, and I decided to follow her back because I thought she was really pretty. Unfortunately, due to Covid, I did not get a chance to see Anne in person until over a year and a half later. The externship program at KPMG ended up being switched from an in-person to a virtual event, and all our business classes were over Zoom the following academic year. Finally, in our senior year at UMD, in-person classes and activities resumed, and Anne and I were in the same upper-level finance class. For those of you who know Anne, you know she has a strong presence. When she walks into a room, everyone notices. So much so that a few friends and I actually nicknamed her "Loud Girl." She was always talking and surrounded by friends in class and in the business school hallways. Her voice projected across the class, and whenever the professor asked a question, she would raise her hand even when she didn't know the answer. She possessed such confidence when she spoke that even if she wasn’t correct, you believed she was right and questioned what you thought you knew. She was gorgeous, and as someone who has always been shy around people I don't know well, I was very intimidated by Anne. It was difficult enough to approach someone so beautiful, let alone someone always surrounded by friends. As a result, I never ended up talking to Anne while we were at Maryland. Luckily for me, Anne and I both started working at KPMG after graduation, which gave me more opportunities to talk to her. Although we worked on different teams, we were both on the 10th floor of the KPMG office, so I started running into Anne everywhere: in elevators, hallways, the break room, and even at the KPMG Holiday Party at a concert venue with thousands of people. I thought about introducing myself several times, but just like at Maryland, I was too intimidated, and she was always with other people. After we started dating, Anne told me she and her friend Rosemary (one of her bridesmaids) frequently talked about how often she’d see me around. Finally, one day in Spring 2023, about three years after Anne had first followed me on Instagram, Anne and I spoke for the first time. The KPMG recruiter responsible for recruiting UMD students invited Anne, myself, and several other UMD alumni to a campus recruiting event at The Hall, a nice restaurant in College Park. At the beginning of the event, Anne was surrounded by people, chatting away. I assumed it would be yet another event where I’d see her but not talk to her, so I started chatting with others. As the event was wrapping up, while Anne, some others, and I were helping our campus recruiter clean up, Anne looked at me and said, "You're Devin's friend, right?" Devin, one of my groomsmen, has been a good friend since elementary school, and Anne and Devin became friends at Maryland. I confirmed I was Devin's friend, introduced myself, and we began making small talk. Anne, Rosemary, and another friend planned to stop at Town Hall, a former dive bar in College Park that has sadly been torn down since, for a drink after the event. Anne invited Jon, my friend/coworker who was at the event with me, and me to join them. Everyone else had taken Uber to the event, but I had driven, so I didn’t have a drink but came to hang out.

At Town Hall, Anne and I instantly clicked. I can't tell you exactly what we talked about, but everything felt natural and easy. I knew immediately after that evening there was something between us, and I wanted to ask her out on a date. Of course, it wasn't that straightforward, as I couldn't just ask her out at the office. I began messaging her on Microsoft Teams and would send her trivia questions daily just to keep the conversation going. I’d also walk laps around the office just to "run into her." One day, I asked her to join Jon and me for a happy hour after work, and she agreed, inviting her entire team. I later learned that is just the type of person Anne is, always looking to include everyone and make them feel welcome. Finally, one day in June 2023, for my daily trivia question, I asked Anne for her phone number. We chatted over text for a few days, and I finally worked up the courage to ask her out. I invited her to dinner and drinks after work at The Perch on June 20, 2023. We found a nice table, shared pretzel bites, and started chatting. Things seemed to be going well, but unfortunately, 30 minutes into the date, Anne told me she had to return home for work. I thought she was tired of the date and using work as an excuse to leave. I later learned it was a genuine work issue she needed to handle. Later, Anne sent me a sweet text saying she had a great time, apologized for leaving, and expressed interest in going out again. Anne claimed our first date wasn't a real date but rather a "vibe check." So for our next date (or first real date, according to Anne), I invited her to an Italian dinner at Maggiano's on a weekend. I picked Anne up from her apartment, and once the date started, my nervousness faded. It felt like I was with an old friend. I knew Anne was into me when the date finished, and she suggested driving by her brother's house. I thought, 'She wants me to meet her brother already?' We drove by his house, and she wanted to show me the orange porta potty outside. Thankfully, I didn't meet her brother Michael until months later. I had a gut feeling Anne would soon be my girlfriend. We started going on many dates, mostly after work since I lived with my parents in Maryland, and Anne lived in Arlington, VA, so there was over an hour's drive between us. The downside was Anne's work often kept her late, so I'd spend hours waiting for her in the office. She would always tell me she'd be late and it was fine if I wanted to go home, but I always waited because I cherished every moment with her. Looking back, it was more than worth it; I was waiting for the love of my life. After a few months of after-work dates, Anne officially became my girlfriend. That fall, I moved to Arlington to be closer to work and, of course, Anne. She switched jobs and had significantly more free time, allowing us to spend more time together. The saying "when you know, you know" proved true. Anne and I quickly fell in love and knew early in our relationship that we wanted to marry. I thank God daily for someone so kind, caring, joyful, and loving.

Every Fourth of July, Anne's family goes on a National Park trip for a week. I've been invited the last two years, and for the most recent trip, in late June/early July 2025, we rented an Airbnb in Golden, Canada, and visited Banff National Park, Yoho National Park, and Glacier National Park. As you can see in our gallery, it's stunning up there. Anne hinted several times that she'd love to be proposed to on the trip. So when Anne was away for a weekend this spring, I drove to her parents' house to discuss marrying their daughter and received their blessing. I chose an engagement ring and researched potential spots and photographers. I found a photographer online with a stunning gallery who frequently did surprise proposals and wedding shoots in the Banff and Yoho National Park areas. He helped me find a wonderful spot at Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park. We planned to visit Emerald Lake on the first day of our trip, so everything fell into place perfectly. The week of the trip arrived, and I practiced my speech a thousand times while ensuring I hadn’t lost the ring. Before we left, Anne said she didn't want to wear hiking pants in the engagement photos and asked which day I planned to propose. I refused to tell her, hoping the proposal would catch her off guard. The first day of the trip, while getting ready at the Airbnb, I was so nervous I was shaking. Anne asked if she should wear her hiking pants, and I responded vaguely. She asked her mom the same question, and her mom firmly said, "Absolutely not, Annie." At that point, Anne likely suspected what was about to happen. The drive from the Airbnb to Emerald Lake was an hour, and timing was crucial because everyone, except Anne, knew the photographer was booked for 9 AM. Our timing was perfect, and we started hiking right around 9. The photographer had texted me that morning, sharing what he’d be wearing and instructing me to follow him discreetly. I spotted him on the trail and signaled to start following him. He posed as a regular hiker, and Anne told me later she had no idea he was a photographer, which was a relief since something remained a surprise. As we approached the designated spot, the photographer turned and pointed at it when Anne looked away. My plan was to ask Anne to take a picture and then propose, but before I could, Anne's mom exclaimed, "This spot is beautiful; let’s take a family photo here." After the family photo, I was unsure of how to proceed, but more photos followed—first Anne's brother, sister-in-law, and their daughter, then Anne and me. During our turn, I got down on one knee and proposed! Despite the unexpected elements, everything turned out better than I ever hoped. I am beyond excited to marry this amazing woman and can't wait to start a family together! -Jake, or as Anne likes to call me, JD