I can’t believe I’m finally getting to write this post, Jesse and I are finally engaged after 12 years of dating! Keep on reading to find out a little more about our story, and to hear how he popped the question.

Our Story

We are high school sweethearts that met our freshman year in biology class. After a couple of months of being lab partners, we began talking more and more outside of class and quickly became very good friends. While we both began to develop feelings for each other, I was hesitant to ruin our friendship by dating, but Jesse was not and asked me to be his girlfriend.

At first, I actually said no, but a few days later I realized how silly I was being and when Jesse said he didn’t think we could be friends anymore because he liked me too much, I knew I couldn’t lose him. So we began dating, and have been together ever since.

Our first picture together at my Sweet 16

How He Proposed

Jesse and I went to different colleges, but both were in Philadelphia so we saw each other every weekend. After college, I moved to LA to pursue a career in the entertainment industry, and Jesse stayed in Philly to study for and earn his CFA certification. We knew we wanted to get married, but did not want to be engaged and planning a wedding while being on different sides of the country so we decided to wait until we figured out our permanent living plans.

After two years of doing long distance, we finally decided to move to New York City together, as it supported both our careers and was still close to family. Once we were all moved in and settled into our jobs, everyone began asking when he would pop the question. I was getting a little anxious myself, but I knew that he was probably waiting for the right time and place. And he was. He had thought of an amazing plan to suggest a trip to Bermuda where he was going to propose on the beach.

But then COVID happened, and Jesse’s plan was no longer an option. Since NYC was one of the biggest hotspots for COVID, we early on decided to self-isolate at my parents’ home near Philly, and have been here ever since. Jesse still wanted to propose but wasn’t sure how to make it special and meaningful with so many restrictions. Then we learned that our old high school where we met was actually going to be torn down, as a new one was being put up.

This gave Jesse the idea to propose there before this happened, as it was such a special place for us. With the help of my family, I was convinced to go to the high school under the guise that they were giving very small tours to alumni to see the school one more time before it was torn down. As we walked around the halls reminiscing, we came to the biology classroom where we met and Jesse suggested we get a picture in front of it. As I turned to take the photo though, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him! It was the most perfect proposal I could have asked for!

While this was obviously not Jesse’s original plan, it was honestly the most meaningful way he could have proposed, as it centered around something so personal to our relationship. I am so beyond excited and thankful to soon be able to call him my husband, and to start this next chapter of our lives together. And if you are interested in following our story, make sure to check back in here to see more wedding related content in the coming months!