Jared and Natalie are college sweethearts. Natalie grew up in Potomac, MD but went to college out of state and entered UConn her sophomore year. Jared grew up in Glastonbury, CT and after getting his Associates degree, entered UConn his junior year. Jared and Natalie ran around similar social circles without even knowing it. They later found out they knew the same people, or were at the same college bar on the same night, but didn't actually meet each other until their senior year of college. The story of how they met is a romantic one: in line for the port-a-potty at a college football tailgate. Natalie went up to a mutual friend who was hanging out with Jared and his college roommates. The group decided to get in line for the port-a-potty, which is where Jared and Natalie started chatting. A few more football tailgates and dinners at the dining hall later, Jared and Natalie felt like they had met their other half. In spring semester of their senior year, COVID hit and college went fully remote, so Jared and Natalie went back to their respective hometowns over 300 miles away from each other. They were dating long distance for about 8 months- and absolutely hated it. Jared took a leap of faith, packed his bags, and drove to Maryland to move in with Natalie in November 2020. From there, they lived in Baltimore row homes, began their corporate careers, and adopted their brown tabby cat, Whiskey. Jared and Natalie discovered their love for Baltimore and brought some wonderful people into their lives. Jared and their friends helped Natalie learn how to ski for the first time, which had a lot of tears and hand holding, but now they love to shred the mountains in Vermont every winter. They traveled to Germany together in fall 2023 for Oktoberfest and had a blast. They wore the traditional German outfits, drank some pints, and met people from all over the world. On that trip, they also traveled to Brussels and Amsterdam where they took a gondola tour, biked around the city, and ate gluten-free stroopwafels. After 4 years together, Jared proposed to Natalie on July 6th, 2024 at her favorite local vineyard with the help of Jared's now-best man. Natalie was so excited when he popped the question that she grabbed Jared for a hug and spilled her glass of sauvignon blanc all over his back (oops). Jared and Natalie have friends and family in Maryland and Connecticut, so while planning their wedding, they found a beautiful venue in Northern New Jersey which happened to be a perfect halfway for all their loved ones to come together for a big celebration! After getting engaged, Jared and Natalie were ready to embark on a new chapter and moved to Boston together in June 2025. They settled into their one bedroom apartment in Back Bay, got their MBTA cards, and pulled out their Celtics gear. They are excited for their new adventure together as soon-to-be newlyweds!