It all started way back in 6th grade when Jared made the John Hersey High School feeder basketball team and became buddies with Kelsey’s twin brother, Trevor. They stayed friends and teammates all the way through high school and along the way, Kelsey and Jared became friends too, thanks to shared classes, mutual friends, and a love of sports. It never went beyond friends at the time… though Kelsey may have had a little crush! Jump to Memorial Day weekend 2021. Jared was back from Germany after separating from the Air Force, and Kelsey was in the middle of moving from Chicago to Charlotte. The Martin crew headed to North Carolina for Trevor and Christine’s wedding reception, and that’s where Jared and Kelsey saw each other again after a few years. Their first run-in? Pretty uneventful. Kelsey gave Jared a slightly awkward (and sweaty) side hug, they said a quick hi, and that was that. But the next night, they ended up talking, playing bags, dancing, and closing down the after-party deep in conversation. Meanwhile, Kelsey’s sister-in-law Julia was nudging the moms asking if they thought something might happen. The moms? “If it was gonna happen, it would’ve happened years ago!” Plot twist: It definitely was gonna happen. The next day they started texting, and not long after, Jared booked a trip back to Charlotte to see her. One visit turned into two, then three… and soon enough, they were more than friends. They never picked an official dating anniversary, but over the next few years they navigated long distance, squeezed in a ton of visits, and tackled big life changes — including Kelsey moving to Texas in 2024 to be with Jared. Then on February 28, 2025, Jared proposed in downtown Chicago and they got to celebrate with family and friends. Now they’re counting down the days to their wedding and feel so lucky to have all of you joining the fun! Fun fact: Their wedding day is exactly five years since the day they reconnected at Trevor and Christine’s reception!