“Some of the fondest memories about college life at Towson have to be the Uptown shenanigans... Rewind 6.5 years to the pregame before one of the famous Christmas Day Drinks at Turtle. Our mutual friends’ house would become a place Jake and I would forever be grateful we walked into that mid-December afternoon. The Steelers were playing and it was quite obvious Jake was struggling to focus his attention on the game and avoid staring at me. Fortunately for him, his team won and little did he know, he was about to win even bigger ;) I can clearly remember feeling immediately drawn to something about Jake, as though somehow he was supposed to be a part of my life in some way. Somewhere between his big blue eyes, simple appreciation for life, love of gin, and sense of spontaneity, I quickly knew I was in good company. This magical day went on to involve an instant connection, lots of laughs, bad dance moves, and a few libations too many. This resulted in a lack of food and one sick elf unable to make it home... hey, ya animals have all been there! Jake being quite the gentleman and nurse he would become, took excellent care of me late into the evening with nothing but pure intentions, of course! His thoughtfulness (and how cute and nervous he was to ask) earned my number and an official date, where the food-to-alcohol ratio was much better considered! Our love story has only continued as Jake has never failed to make me laugh nor neglected to make me feel like the most important person in the world... We will forever owe a big thanks to Towson, The Greene Turtle (RIP), the 17 Burke gals, and Christmas for inspiring us to day drink on a Sunday! 12.11.16 will always hold a special place in our hearts and I can't wait to marry my best friend surrounded by all of our favorite people on 11.3.23.”

"I remember waking up hungover on Sunday, December 11th, 2016, and somehow I was convinced by my next door neighbor to come over that afternoon to pregame for a Christmas day drink at The Greene Turtle. If you know me, you know I can't turn down a good time, so I decided to throw on a beanie and my ugliest sweater, filled a water bottle full of gin and sprite, and walked next door. I didn’t see Kara at first since I was too busy watching Le'Veon Bell run for 300 yards against the Bills. I finally looked up and immediately noticed this tall, hot, blonde in an elf onesie across the room. I introduced myself and thanks to my Bombay Sapphire driven charm, we talked all the way to the bar where she proceeded to try to get me to sneak beers in. Me, being a lawful and courteous gentleman, told her I’d just buy her a drink instead. I must have done something right because later she turned the tables and actually bought ME a drink. I knew I was all in when I had a front row seat to her contagious smile, subpar dance moves, and astonishing ability to put down Bud Light Platinums. Things got a little hazy that day and I remember waking up in the middle of that night wondering, “wow, did I actually pull this one off?!"... That dream was about to become a nightmare as I looked up and saw Kara still in her onesie, about to vomit all over the place because she couldn’t get the bathroom door open (if you had been to my college house, you wouldn’t be surprised even the knobs didn’t work). In over my head, I decided to help her to the bathroom and give her water, medicine, soda, and crackers as we laughed and talked the rest of the night. I dropped her off the next morning and asked for her number (I think I earned it), and drove home with the biggest smile my face was capable of. I think we’ve talked every day since then. It wasn't long before I realized there was something special about Kara and even though we took our relationship slowly, I knew she was the one pretty quickly. I thank God every day for bringing her into my life."