The story begins in the fall of 2006 when two students at Indiana University sparked up a friendship. Marta and Josh liked being around each other immediately. On paper, they were from different worlds: a homegrown Indiana boy and a Jersey girl from Poland. But between their playful banter, mutual love of nature, shared values and a few shared Hairy Bears*, it was only a matter of time before that close friendship evolved into love. The two became inseparable. After graduation, they were determined to overcome the distance between their home states and be together. Believe it or not, that desire was strong enough to lead Josh to make New Jersey his home. There, he and Marta began their post-college lives together and launched their careers, accompanied by their late great canine companion, Ozzy. The years that followed were full of treasured memories, including Josh’s first trip to Poland, where he was able to show off some hard-earned Polish vocabulary and meet Marta’s extended family. They shared holidays, achievements, adventures, and a few heartaches. There was never any doubt that they would always weather the bad and celebrate the good together as a team. * The “Almost World Famous” signature cocktail of one of Bloomington, Indiana’s finest eating and drinking establishments: Bear’s Place

Perhaps the most treasured memory of all came in December of 2016, when Josh surprised Marta at the end of a long day with some pampering inspired by a bible verse on reverence and devotion that was particularly meaningful to him. He explained its significance in their own relationship and how much he treasured Marta as his life partner and his love – in other words, as his wife. It took a while for Marta to realize what was happening, but once she did, the water-works began and they haven’t stopped since (just kidding… though it’s still a challenge for her to retell this story without crying). Josh asked Marta if she would marry him and she responded with an enthusiastic “yes!”

Marta and Josh are beyond excited to share their wedding day with all of their loved ones, many of whom inspired the couple’s philosophy toward love and marriage through their own examples. They look forward to continuing their great adventure together as husband and wife, whatever the future may bring.