Sarah and Jake first met through their campus ministry at Appalachian State. To get students to know others outside of their friend group, their campus minister would randomly pair people up for friendly coffee dates. Jake and Sarah's campus minister paired them to get coffee together, and from there, the rest is history! Sarah loved Jake's kindness and his ability to make her laugh and feel at ease. From the moment they met, Jake knew that he had a special connection to Sarah. Her kindness, warmth, & calm-nature is what made it clear to him that she was the one. Sarah's graduation was only a few weeks away, and she would be moving for a seasonal summer job immediately after graduating. Despite the distance, Jake stuck with her that summer; they FaceTimed and called as much as they could, and finally, at the end of the summer, they reunited and began dating.

After four years of dating, Jake surprised Sarah by proposing to her at Grayson Highlands State Park in Virginia. Jake and Sarah have always loved Grayson Highlands State Park because it is where they had their first date (minus the friendly coffee date). What made the day extra special was that Jake's dad, Dan, and brother, Luke, had tagged along for what Sarah thought was a day of hiking. Luke secretly carried the ring in his backpack, and Jake somehow managed to take it out without Sarah noticing. Dan was at the ready with his phone to record the whole thing. Then, Jake got down on one knee and proposed! It was such a special moment. The surprise continued with a stay at an AirBnb that night and into the next morning, where Jake organized a surprise brunch with his family and Sarah's family. It was such a special weekend and one that Jake and Sarah will never forget!