The Gleeson's

Jake proposed on Christmas Eve on a beautiful beach in Hawaii, our current home. We were so fortunate to celebrate afterward with both of our families at an amazing beach bonfire with food, champagne, and karaoke. The whole night was perfect.

We first met when Elizabeth arrived at Eastern Illinois University in her freshman year. We both were on the swim team, and honestly, neither of us can remember the exact moment we met. We just were in each other's lives. We became close friends very quickly and hung out all the time. Eventually, our friendship grew into something more.

We started dating long-distance, so our first real date was a weekend trip to Nashville. Elizabeth was at EIU, and Jake was interning in Georgia, so Nashville was a good meeting point. We spent the weekend sneaking Elizabeth into bars (she was 20), going to a Vanderbilt football game, and eating at delicious and magical (literally) restaurants.