Jacquelyn had just moved to Denver - literally, she had spent the previous two days driving from Chicago, dropped off the U-Haul in the morning, and then went to a party that Amy, her close friend from high school, was hosting. The party was for Amy's then-boyfriend, now-husband, Stephen, who had been roommates with Zach. Jacquelyn thought Zach was handsome, so she walked up and introduced herself to him, but upon learning that he was an unemployed student, quickly backpedaled. Zach was undeterred, and spent the rest of the summer trying to win her over. After their first camping trip and dinner date (neither of which Jacquelyn had any idea were dates), Zach asked her for a walk and told her, "I think you should date me." His persistence paid off!

Knowing that fall in the mountains is Jacquelyn's favorite time, Zach planned a long weekend in Frisco for Labor Day. He arranged for all of their favorite things - cycling, stand-up paddleboarding, hiking, mountain hot tub with wine, Italian dinners, and morning walks with coffee. She thought he would propose, but didn't know how or when. One morning, on a hike out their back door, Zach seemed to keep pausing at nice spots along the water, but nothing happened. They went on a bit further, stopped for a snack, and still nothing. On the way back, the lake was full of people. By this point, Jacquelyn assumed that he just wasn't planning to ask. Then, he led them down a quiet path, paused, and pulled out a ring.

Jacquelyn was born and raised in Rochester Hills, MI, a suburb north of Detroit. She attended the University of Michigan for college, where she studied English Language and Literature. In addition to her time in Michigan, Jacquelyn has lived in Chicago and Denver, and would love nothing more than to keep moving West. She has spent the majority of her career in HR and talent consulting (with a brief stint in internal HR), working for Accenture, Deloitte, DaVita, and now Korn Ferry, an executive search and consulting firm. She and Zach live in Denver with their two cats, Gus and Gracie.

Zach was born and raised in Elburn, IL, a town near St. Charles in the Chicago suburbs. He attended Bradley University for undergraduate, where he studied accounting, and the University of Colorado for post-baccalaureate coursework and his Doctoral degree in Physical Therapy. Zach has worked as an accountant for Caterpillar, consultant for Hitachi Consulting, and a physical therapist, and is now working as a data and analytics consultant for Slalom in Denver.

Zach and Jacquelyn lead an active Colorado lifestyle, and love trail running, cycling, skiing, golfing, hiking, and snowshoeing. They’ve shared a number of adventures together, from cycling 120 miles in the Triple Bypass (twice! 100 miles of Elephant Rock were far worse, we promise) to snowshoeing and hiking the 10th Mountain Division back country hut system. Together, they love to cook and explore new wines – Jacquelyn accumulated a number of guides in hopes of studying for the level sommelier 1 exam, although to date Zach has been the only one to actually crack a book. Much to Jacquelyn’s delight, they have recently begun traveling together more, and are excited for more trips to come after the wedding. They live in Denver with their two kitties, Gus and Gracie.