Jackie and John's relationship starts like many modern day love stories... on the Internet! Jackie was cruising her prospects and happened upon John, a handsome man who claimed to like BBQing (very true) and running (less true...). A couple of chat messages later, a date was planned at a local brewery. John (ever the gentleman) turned off his phone prior to the date to avoid accidental rudeness and missed the text messages from Jackie indicating she was having car trouble and was unable to meet him. Once rectified, John agreed to drive over to meet Jackie at a local beer bar called Cicero's near her house in the St. Louis Loop. While the date was lovely, it wasn't until the third date that Jackie won John over with her pinball skills (or lack thereof) at the Silver Ballroom arcade bar.

Jackie and John spent the next five years having adventures around St. Louis, exploring restaurants and breweries, going on walks (if you ask Jackie) or hikes (if you ask John), hosting dinner parties, and dressing up for John's favorite Kentucky Derby Party each year. They went on trips in the US, including Pittsburgh, New Orleans, Tennessee, California, and abroad to Belize and Thailand. In Fall 2018, Jackie moved to San Francisco to complete her internship in clinical psychology and John visited as often as possible. In Fall 2019, John and Jackie reunited in Providence, RI, just in time to get firmly settled before the world shut down. After 6 months at home together, they decided it was perfect time to get the dog they'd talked about for years and in August 2020, welcomed their black lab mix Xena into their lives.

To say good-bye to 2020 (and a lack of other plans due to social distancing), John and Jackie decided to cook an elaborate meal on New Years Eve, which is likely not a huge surprise for folks who have spent time with the couple. A cheeseboard, broiled oysters, lamb meatballs, and a healthy serving of bouillabase later, Jackie was ready for a pre-midnight nap. Five minutes before the ball drop, John woke Jackie up and urged her to get out of bed. Reluctantly, she complied. After their midnight kiss, John popped the question! And just like that, 2021 was looking up!

We are so excited to celebrate with our friends and family that we wanted to spend the whole weekend doing it! Cedar Creek is an event center about an hour outside of St. Louis equipped with a swimming pool, walking/running trails, fishing, and a 9-hole golf course. We look forward to spending as much time as we can hanging out poolside or exploring the grounds with our guests.