Jamie and Jared met on Jamie’s very first day at Northwestern Mutual. Jared was the tech coach assigned to get her computer set up… except none of her accounts worked yet. While Jamie was excited to spend the next 55 minutes getting to know a new coworker, Jared, ever practical, was excited to get 55 minutes back on his calendar. After about two minutes of small talk, he politely excused himself and left. Not exactly a meet-cute. Luckily, Jared redeemed himself over the following months. He showed Jamie the ropes – sitting with her at lunch, helping with tech needs, and even teaching her how to refill the office coffee maker. They worked on the same development team, quickly becoming great coworkers and fast friends. Long days turned into staying late, talking, sharing stories, and realizing they genuinely enjoyed each other’s company. As feelings grew, they decided to attend the company Christmas party as "just friends." Things took an unexpected turn when Jared attempted to impress Jamie, took a jump, landed wrong, dislocated his knee, nicked his femoral artery, and ended up in the ICU for three days. (If you’d like to see the exact spot where this happened… please refer to the proposal photo below). Despite the drama, this only brought them closer. Jamie visited Jared every day with holiday cheer and chicken nuggets. Over the holidays, Jared recovered on bed rest while Jamie headed back to New York where she casually told her mom over a drink, “This is the man I’m going to marry.” Their first official date finally happened in January once Jared was cleared. They went to a Mexican restaurant and talked until the staff politely let them know, at 2:00 a.m., that the restaurant was closing. It took about six months for Jared to fully recover, but their relationship was already in full bloom. Jamie fell in love with Jared for his sense of humor, quick wit, laid-back presence, and, most of all, his unwavering kindness and consideration for everyone around him. Jared fell in love with Jamie because she believes the best in people, and no matter what, her joy and optimism never waver. Seven years later, after plenty of highs, lows, and laughter, they’ve built a strong foundation rooted in friendship – and what Jamie told her mom all those years ago is officially coming true. We can’t wait to celebrate this next chapter with all of you <3