Ashley & Jeff
Our Story
How We Met
In the beginning...
Ashley was born in Arkansas but raised in the Seattle suburbs. Jeff made his way to Seattle, from Iowa, when he joined Boeing in 2009. In Spring 2015, Ashley and Jeff met through mutual friends, thanks to an app named Hinge and the modern marvels of technology. After several weeks of one-sided phone tag, Jeff scored a first date with Ashley. He took her on a Sunday stroll around Green Lake where they discovered mutual interests in travel, music, the outdoors, and eating. A second date followed: dinner and an evening with the Seattle Symphony - and an impromptu nightcap at a karaoke bar. The third "date" was an unintended double date of sorts when Ashley's mom dropped by to join us for brunch. After that, things continued progressing and Ashley and Jeff became 'official' by summer.
Growing Together
...the dating years
Early on, we saw Zac Brown Band (first of many times) and camped in Tofino. In 2016, Jeff earned his MBA and we took our first big international trip together to Peru. In 2017, we sailed the BVI, visited family in Maui, and Ashley moved in with Jeff. Thankfully, Jeff overcame allergies so he could be Cat Dad to Phia and Jeff's frequent business travel for Boeing ensured Ashley still got her me-time. In 2018, we went to Mexico, drove the Oregon coast, visited Paris, and traveled to Morocco. In 2019, Ashley took a sabbatical, traveled to Spain and Italy, and started a new job at Syndio. Along the way we have attended numerous weddings together, shared many weekend getaways, and traveled the globe - all experiences which helped us form a strong foundation of friendship and love.
The Proposal
Engaged!
Though he wanted the proposal to be a surprise, Jeff took Ashley to look at engagement rings in January 2019 (who knows what ring Jeff would have picked, left to his own devices...) To not give away the surprise after discussing the ring, Jeff kept Ashley waiting...until October 2019 (passing up perfectly good opportunities like a week in the south of France, or any number of weekend getaways throughout the year!) Jeff proposed on October 1st while watching the sunset at Manini'owali Beach on the Big Island - not just a beautiful place, but one that is special given his family roots in the Hawaiian islands. While the speech didn't go exactly as Jeff had rehearsed, Ashley still said yes and celebrations were had that evening with good friends, plus a new ring complemening Ashley's tan.