Jack and Thea met the first week of school at Wake Forest University. They quickly became friends as they were in the same dorm, both from Northern Virginia, and started to form the same friend group. Throughout college Jack and Thea were just friends, albeit very close friends, and many people sensed there was something special between them. Upon Wake Forest Graduation, Jack commissioned in the United States Army and Thea moved back to the D.C. area. They stayed close despite the distance until one day Jack woke up (most likely in a less than desirable situation/condition in the woods) and realized how truly special Thea had been to him. They officially began their relationship in March, 2015. They spent a year and a half in a distance relationship that was truly testing with Jack spending time in Eastern Europe and Savannah, GA. Jack moved back to D.C in 2017, allowing them to finally experience life together on a day to day basis. However, another change was on the horizon. Jack was accepted into the MBA program at UNC in Chapel Hill, NC. This time though, Thea moved to Chapel Hill as well, excited and ready to continue their non-long distance relationship. Throughout the distance, life trials, challenges and successes, and career changes, Thea had always remained Jack's biggest supporter. Jack had always noticed Thea's commitment and by the time he was enrolled in graduate school he knew she was the one...

Jack proposed to Thea in a mountain cabin on a trip to Lurray, Virginia that was disguised as a birthday trip. Despite the ring being lost in the mail, and having to be sneakily delivered by Jack's dad the morning of the proposal, the weekend was a complete success. If you have an extra 15 minutes, ask Jack or John DeBell to tell you the full story. If you only have 2 or 3 minutes, just ask Thea. Jack made a photo scrapbook detailing their relationship over the previous 4 years, gifted it to Thea, and asked her to marry him as she finished reading the book. They are both beyond excited about the wedding and can't wait to celebrate with everyone on August 22nd!