J&N

Their first date was November 11, 2018 to Innovation Brewing in Dillsboro, NC. Fun fact, they were supposed to go to Sylva but Nicole went to the wrong location and thought she got stood up (lol). They were there for hours just talking and hit it off. A few weeks following their first date, Jared found out he was being sent out for basic training sooner than expected and left in early December. Their relationship continued as a friendship for the next 2 years. Fast forward to August 15, 2020, Jared came to Boone and saw Nicole in person for the first time in almost 2 years. This kickstarted their romantic relationship again and from this point on, they couldn't imagine life with anyone else. They officially started dating September 19, 2020. During this time, Nicole was in Radiation Therapy school in Boone, NC and Jared was stationed in Hampton, VA, resulting in months of long-distance. On May 18, 2021, Jared took Nicole on a date back to Innovation Brewing where he got down on one knee in the middle of the parking lot and asked Nicole to be his wife. Rumor has it, she hasn't stopped smiling to this day.