Jake and Sydney are college sweethearts who met the most timeless, romantic way possible… at a college dorm party. Back at High Point University in High Point, NC, it was the start of junior year in 2020. Sydney and her three roommates were throwing a “back-to-school” party when her best friends, Gillian and Kendall, casually invited over a guy Sydney had heard of but somehow never officially met. That guy, of course, was Mr. Jake Merkel. The click was instant—they became the best of friends from the beginning. Jake knew immediately; Sydney (in classic Sydney fashion) was adorably oblivious and unknowingly put him through months of emotional cardio. Everything shifted when the two took a last-minute trip to Disney after Sydney got COVID. Somewhere between Mickey-shaped snacks and questionable Florida humidity, Jake finally worked up the courage to ask her to make things official… on 4/20. An iconic date for an iconic duo. Since then, they’ve been inseparable—traveling, laughing, building a life together, and collecting stories that they’ll be telling forever. Now, they can’t wait to celebrate the next chapter with all their favorite people as they say “I do” on Lake Winnipesaukee!