Our story began at Alma College, where every Thursday, we would steal glances at each other at Bravehearts - the small college town dive bar we owe for being the root of our love. There, amid the karaoke, Vodka Redbulls, and laughter, we realized that we were sharing more than just a night out; we shared a spark. From that first evening, we were inseparable. What began as a casual weekly encounter quickly turned into something we both knew was meant to be. Shortly before Jake graduated, we made things official, though Lily still had two more years left at Alma. Our journey wasn’t without its challenges – first, we navigated the short distance between Alma and Novi, and then, we were even further apart when Jake moved to Miami while Lily stayed at Alma to finish her undergraduate studies. Despite the miles, we always knew we were each other’s person. After a year of long distance (from Alma to Miami), Lily made the move to Miami for her graduate studies at the University of Miami while Jake worked tirelessly on his Doctorate degree. It was there that we took another big step and moved into our first apartment together. From that moment on, we were no longer just two people making it work from afar – we were building a life together. We’ve been by each other’s side through some of the most important milestones in our lives – graduations, awards, new jobs, and even moving across the country. Now, we’re embarking on our next big adventure: marriage. We couldn’t be more excited to continue writing our love story and create a lifetime of memories.