In the winter of 2019, both Jess & Randall were searching for their right person. Luckily they shared a mutual friend that brought them together. Randall just had concluded a disheartening venture into the world of speed dating for his first (and thankfully his last) time. Luckily for Randall and his self-esteem, however, the tides of fortune changed quickly for him, as one of Randall's close buddies sent him a timely/fortuitous text message inviting him out to a local bar that same night. Randall figured that some beers with friends might lift his spirits a bit, so he agreed to join them at the bar. Little did he know then that joining his friends that night would turn out to be the greatest decision of his lifetime. At the bar that evening, Randall asked a buddy's wife* whether she had any "cute, single friends." Her initial reply was a rather definitive and resounding "no." Luckily, she eventually gave Randall the benefit of the doubt, instead deciding to show Randall a few photos of Jess several minutes into their conversation. She texted Jess for permission to give Randall her number, but Jess would not see that text until the following morning due to her very early (i.e. grandma) bedtime. The very next morning, Randall set up their first date, which he conveniently scheduled at a restaurant located next door to his apartment. Jess braved the snowstorm that evening, traveling from Lincoln Park to Old Town in order to meet Randall at The Kennison. Randall was absolutely floored as he saw Jess walk into the restaurant for the first time that night. The pair thereafter hit it off immediately, even though Randall asked question after question to Jess in true attorney-like fashion. Jess and Randall agreed to a second date, and then to a third, and so on, until both Randall and Jess realized that they had completely fallen for one another. *Mrs. Alex Damian, you are our angel. Jess and I will never be able to thank you enough.
Randall & Jess traveled to Santa Fe, NM for a quick weekend getaway in the Fall of 2020. Several weeks before their trip, Randall had created an elaborate plan to ask for Jess's hand. Following the instructions Randall had provided to their hiking tour guide, the pair were led to a mountain overlook after completing a hiking excursion at Bandelier National Park. While Jess stared across the beautiful mountain landscape that bordered the Santa Fe River, Randall got down on one knee and managed to ask the most important question of his life to the most important woman in his life. Thankfully Jess said "yes."