Some consider the story of Jess & Sean to be “The Great American Love Story.” A tale full of passion, commitment, growth, grace, and memories that will withstand the test of time has led us to where we are today- counting down the days until their eyes meet once again, reminiscent of the first time they locked eyes. Sean stood still, nerves starting to rear their heads, peering out into a full parking lot in search of this beautiful woman to appear from behind a wall of cars. Jess stepped out of her Honda and trekked towards the front doors of a TopGolf wondering if this internet bald man has the personality to back up his charming text messages. As Sean locked onto who he thought to be his date, he waited patiently for her to get close enough that he didn’t have to yell. Time came to a halt. Both hearts thumped in sync with one another. “Hi, Jess?” “Sean?” Three-and-a-half years separate these parallel experiences. Sean will once again stand still, this time with dress shoes glued to the ground, gazing out across a sea of loved ones and awaiting his bride to appear from behind a wall of greenery. Jess will once again trek towards him, this time clothed in white and accompanied by her father. They will once again lock eyes. Time will once again come to a halt. Both hearts will once again thump in sync. What words will be said, what emotions will be expressed, and what happens from that moment forward is a chapter of the story yet to be told. Jess, originally from Ambler, Pennsylvania, moved to Florida on a whim when her older sister moved this way for work. After going to culinary school for Pastry Arts, she had hoped to work for Disney when she moved down here, but God had other plans. With a pandemic moving her away from the plans she had for herself, she found a different path that included a few different jobs. Sean, originally from Winter Springs, Florida, was in Central Florida from the start. After graduating from college in southwest Ohio, he moved home and started a career as an engineer. Being from different states and spheres of interest, one might think the two meeting each other was a long shot. But as Jess & Sean have experienced, God works in mysterious ways. It started with a Monday evening date at TopGolf, when Sean severely underestimated the wait time to play. After being told it was a two hour wait, the two hopefuls decided to sit down for a drink and get to know each other. After what felt like an instant, their names were called to play golf. At that point, the golf was pointless. Both just wanted to continue to talk as the connection had already been made. Little did they know that they had connected with their future spouse. The two saw each other three times in those first six days as feelings grew quickly. One of Jess & Sean’s favorite traditions is their monthly date. They alternate months to pick and plan the date, and typically keep it a secret until the day of. This has created some of their favorite memories- whether it was an evening at the science center, dinner and drinks, bowling, painting or any number of other activities the two have shared together. When it finally came time for Sean to propose to Jess, he used the monthly date as a way to keep the surprise. Leaning on a couple of Jess’s best friends to gather information, Sean hijacked Jess’s date by letting her think she was in control of the plans. In the shadows, Sean was coordinating a proposal and celebration afterward. What Jess thought was going to be an interactive show in downtown Sanford turned into Sean being on one knee, presenting her with the ring of her dreams. As rain started to sprinkle down along the pier on Lake Monroe, Sean struggled to get his words out: “I have bad news and good news. The bad news is we aren’t going on your date tonight. The good news is that I want to date you for the rest of my life. Jess, will you marry me?” Her answer needs no explanation.