Jaret and Mallory first crossed paths on a leisurely day at Siesta Key Beach. Toes covered in fine white sand, cheeks brushed with the kiss of the UV rays, and a bright orange sunset serving as a romantic background, Jaret plucked up the courage to approach Mallory, who was sitting on her beach towel with a book in her lap. Mallory looked up just as Jaret stood before her, and without saying a word they both knew their lives were about to change. It was love at first sight-- Just kidding! They matched on Tinder. Their first date was at the beach, though. It took them a while to actually meet in person after matching on the dating app (mostly Mallory's fault), but once they did, they both knew there was an instant connection that felt different from anything they've experienced before. Jaret, who lived in Ohio, was in Mallory's hometown of Sarasota, FL on vacation with his good friends Ben and Addie, and Mallory met up with them to enjoy a few beers on the beach. Since things went so well the first day, they hung out again the next day.. and the next day. Mallory was doubtful that their weekend-long affair would continue once they were both living in different states again, but long distance proved to be no obstacle for two people who genuinely wanted to be together. After 5 months of nightly FaceTime dates and visiting each other back and forth, Jaret (and his dog, Bastion) finally made the move to Florida that he had been longing for, and he and Mallory have been living together since. In October of 2023, Jaret, Mallory and Bastion moved into their first house together. In May of 2024, they adopted their second fur baby together, a beautiful little hound mix named Aspen.

During September of 2024, Jaret and Mallory had a trip planned to St. Augustine, the oldest city in Florida and one of Mallory's favorite places, to celebrate her 30th birthday. Unbeknownst to Mallory, this was also a proposal trip. Jaret had a ring ready to go and a photographer lined up to capture the proposal he'd been planning for months. However, Florida weather had a different idea. Hurricane Helene decided to terrorize the west coast of Florida on the same weekend of their trip, so much so that Mallory almost canceled their plans altogether. After days of tracking the storm and weighing their options, they chose to go anyway. However, the engagement photographer that Jaret had been in contact with, to his dismay, decided to tuck tail and evacuate. Jaret reached out to several other photographers to try to replace the one he had, but they were all reluctant or out of town due to the storm. Jaret came to accept that even if he couldn't get a professional to capture the big moment, he was going to propose anyway. Even though many restaurants were closed because of the hurricane on the opposite coast, Mallory and Jaret enjoyed their first night in St. Augustine by bouncing around to different bars that a local bartender told them would still be open as normal. At some point they landed on the patio of the Tini Martini Bar, where they struck up conversation with another couple named Ronny and Deanne. As fate would have it, Ronny mentioned that in his retirement, he had taken up photography as a hobby. As soon as Mallory was away from the table and out of earshot, Jaret knew what to do. He explained the situation of the proposal and the failed photographers, and Ronny agreed to step up to the plate. A few days later, Jaret told Mallory that Ronny said he would take some nice photos of them since they didn't really have any together. They would meet up with Ronny and Deanne at a bar on the beach and take sunset pictures under a bridge. Jaret was anxiously trying to set up the perfect shot while Mallory carelessly smiled for the camera. Ronny gave direction for the couple to get a shot of them sitting on a fallen log, but to brush the sand off of it first. Mallory turned her back to Jaret to clear the sand off the tree, and when she turned back around, Jaret had already taken a knee, presenting the ring in front of him. They both blacked out with excitement, so the exact words that were exchanged are fuzzy; all except for one, which was certainly, happily, and lovingly said: "Yes." After telling their families (all of whom already knew and were waiting by their phones for the news), Mallory and Jaret celebrated their engagement with their new friends at a place called Odd Birds, a cocktail lounge known for their unique glassware and ability to customize drinks to their customer's taste. They had the perfect mug to serve Mallory's first drink as a fiancée: