We're getting married!

Growing up in Gettysburg, everybody knows everybody—and our families were no exception! We’ve been around each other since we were little, but one of our first real memories together is riding the school bus. Jack swears he’ll never forget Katie hopping on in Kindergarten with a plastic bag full of Fruity Pebbles (iconic breakfast choice). Looking back, it feels a little like the beginning of something we didn’t even know was starting.

We were part of the same friend group in middle school and high school, and even went to our first and last high school dance together. Still, it wasn’t until college that we started to figure out what we meant to each other. It wasn’t a straight line. There were twists, turns, and a little bit of figuring ourselves out along the way. Long distance made things tricky, but when COVID slowed life down, we finally had the chance to just be together. That time showed us what we probably already knew: even when we tried to do our own thing, we kept finding our way back to each other. Our story hasn’t always been simple, but it has always been ours. And looking back now, it feels like every step—from that high school dance to today—was quietly leading us here.

Jack planned a date but asked to make a quick stop along the way to show me where our forever home would be built. It was a chilly January day, and I was a little cranky trudging through the snow—constantly pulling my hood up while Jack kept pushing it back down and fixing my hair (which made no sense at the time). Then, in the spot where we dream of raising a family and building our life together, Jack got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. To make it even more special, his sister Jordan and her husband Kyle were hiding in the bushes, ready to celebrate with us the moment I said yes.