Daniel: Eharmony, Zoosk, Bumble, and Tinder. All dating apps, all used by us, many which yielded some rather interesting and humorous dates. It was actually Match.com that we met through. Apparently Fifth time is the charm. We matched in May of last year. After some funny and cleverly worded messages on my part, we had our first date on June 22nd at Martin’s BBQ in downtown Nashville. After a fun evening of people watching on Broadway, we agreed to meet up again for a 2nd date. Unfortunately, I discovered Jess isn’t great at getting back with texts as I didn’t hear from her for 2 weeks. She eventually reached out to me as I was traveling back from a family vacation and we agreed to meet at a Sounds game. Luckily for her I know I am quite a catch so I wasn’t upset about being ignored for 2 weeks. What followed was a series of dates that were unconventional and varied. We met up and ran a few miles for a date, on another we went kayaking, and another we went to House of Cards in downtown Nashville. All the dates were fun, but they were unique and not the usual dinner and a movie affair. I like to think our third date where we had our first kiss was pure magic. Towards the end of the night I said a line about putting in some mint gum so I could kiss her. By the end of the night I had my kiss. The next morning she told her friends I was cute because I had no “game”. We had been dating for a few months when I asked Jess to attend a wedding with me in Indiana. I was a little nervous to ask her so soon but I needed to ask her to give her time to take the days off. She said yes despite some reservations.

Jess: I wasn’t sure whether I would actually end up going on this weekend-long trip to his friend’s out-of-state wedding with him. We’d only been dating for a few months and we met over the internet for goodness sake. With no real reason not to go, I was his date for the wedding and travel companion for the weekend. I was able to meet some of his closest friends, spend some quality time with him on the road, and even see him handle a frustrating situation very well. We ended up staying an extra night because we were having such a good time. It was early in our relationship, but this was the weekend that I fell in love with my future husband and best friend. Our unique and fun adventures haven’t stopped since that weekend. The famous covid-19 virus caused most of the country to shut down beginning in early 2020. Being quarantined together has brought us so much closer. It’s given us the time to deepen our relationship, discuss our future, and grow closer to Christ as a couple. It was even during that time that we became engaged.

Daniel: There wasn’t one grand moment or singular event that stands out for when I knew I wanted to marry Jess. It was hundreds of little moments along the way. Funny catchphrases we share, when she reaches for my hand when we walk down the street, spending lazy Sunday afternoons together, going on trips, trying new things, etc. Each date, event, and moment has been an absolute pleasure in getting to know my future bride. One thing that has been attractive to both of us is our shared vision for what we want our lives to look like going forward. From where we see our careers heading, to having children, to wanting to be faithful to Christ and his church, the articulated vision we share together is what we believe will bring a truly happy and meaningful life. We believe in this vision so much that we actually started ring shopping in late February. Once I had an idea for the ring she would like, I just had to get my ducks in row to purchase it and then figure out how to ask her. One challenge was how to surprise someone who already knows you are going to propose. Unfortunately, Covid-19 presented another challenge in purchasing the ring. It was never my intention to order an engagement ring on the internet. What if it doesn’t look like what I purchased, doesn’t fit, she doesn’t like it, etc. All those questions ran through my mind waiting for the ring. But once it arrived, I knew she would love it. It was time to ask her to marry me.

Jess: We usually talk on the phone in the evenings after work. One Tuesday evening, I was told to look outside. He had come to surprise me with what I thought were just cookies from our favorite local bakery. While we worked many puzzles together in self-quarantine, I talked a big game about not looking at the finished picture so intensely as I work them. He brought me a puzzle to put together but told me that I couldn’t look at the picture. As I fit the pieces together, I noticed that some were missing. He reached in his bag to pull out the remaining few left. I read “Will you marry me?” as I finished the puzzle and could not have been happier when I looked up to see him on one knee with a ring box.

That was just the beginning of our story. The best part is the majority has yet to be written. We look forward to sharing more of our adventures with each and every one of you.