Jake and Rachel first met back in the summer of 2012 amidst bonfires, color wars, and canteen crushes. There might have been a few kisses shared, but that's a story for another time. Over the next two years, they lost touch but rekindled when their families booked a cruise together to the Caribbean. Jake had just finished his first semester at college and became a member of Beta Sig, while Rachel was in the midst of her last year in high school. Attractions grew, but it wouldn't be until 2019, after Jake graduated and Rachel was heading back to Madison, that things would really pick up. After spending the summer down the shore together, the two knew there was something special. Flash forward to the summer of 2020, and not even a global pandemic could keep these two apart. They spent every day of June and July together, social distancing in Ventnor and growing their bond. After an awkward run-in with a friend asking if this was his girlfriend, Jake knew it was time to make things official after 8 summers. July 29th, 2020, would go down in history for the future Ritters. The couple spent their first year long-distance, with her living in New York and him in Philadelphia. Hours of Amtrak trips later, they knew it was time to take another big step, and Jake moved to the Big Apple. The next two years were filled with trips to Europe, late nights with friends, exploring the city, many many many sushi dates, and building their inseparable bond. In the fall of 2023, Rachel and Jake moved to the Upper East Side into their first apartment together. It didn't take long for them to know they were ready for the next step. Rachel might have dropped a few hints, and Jake knew if they could survive picking out couches together, they could survive anything. He was ready to propose. A plan was set, and there was only one time and place that made sense to embody their love: down the shore in the midst of summer. June 13, 2024, will be a day they will remember forever!