Jack and Joanne first met during their freshman year at CSU, in 2012, through a mutual friend. At the time, they were just friends—but with an undeniable attraction to each other. Becoming a part of the same friend group, they made many memories together. Eventually, life took them in different directions, and they stayed in touch only loosely over the years. Jack stayed in Fort Collins, then moved back down to Denver, while Joanne moved to San Diego. Ten years later, Jack reached out to Joanne—right as she was moving back to Colorado from San Diego. They decided to go on a sushi-and-movie date. They were both a little nervous that things might feel different after all that time, and wondering if the connection was still there. Luckily, it was. Their friendship picked up effortlessly, and quickly turned into something more. That first date sparked a conversation about one day going to Japan. About a year later, they made that dream into a reality. Somewhere between temples, ramen bowls, and late-night convenient store runs, they realized they wanted to keep making memories together—for life. That’s when Jack started planning, wanting to make the proposal extra special. Over the summer of 2024, he spent weeks gold panning at Cache Creek to gather enough gold to craft Joanne’s dream ring. When he finally gathered enough gold, he created Joanne's ring. And now just had to wait for the right time. He didn't want to rush, knowing that timing was important. (I mean, he'd already waited 10 years for this!) He brought her back to Georgetown—the place of their first mountain date. That day, the weather was so cold and foggy, but by chance, the sun started shining through as they arrived to Georgetown lake. Jack led Joanne to the place where they took their first photo together, to recreate the moment. He instructed her to stand on the frozen lake, where Jack got down on one knee and asked Joanne to marry him. Now, after years of friendship, they can’t wait to begin this next chapter—side by side, surrounded by the people who mean the most to them.