LONG STORY SHORT
She was born in St Louis Missouri
He was born in Eden Prairie, Minnesota
They went to college in Chicago…
… where they met in January 2020 on a snowy night
After graduating in 2023, they traveled the world for two months
He started his job in software
He popped the question at a winery in the Pocono Mountains
and she began her PhD in bioengineering
They moved to
Philadelphia
8.24.24
…and she said
Sometimes Etty wants a better view, so Jake always offers his shoulders for her.
Jake visited Etty’s hometown for the first time in May 2020. We decided to go on a hike to a local outlook. Etty was making Jake nervous walking too close to the edge. Luckily the only falling she did was falling for him.
Here, we were walking along the coast of Lake Michigan. For context, it was February, so the lake was frozen. Etty thought it would be a cool spot to take a picture so she set her phone up on the ground (which was a sheet of ice). Seconds after this picture, Etty’s phone slid down the glacier and (by pure luck) slipped through a crack in the ice and into the lake. She did what she had to do and submerged herself in the frigid water to find the phone. After 7 minutes, she was successful. As a result of this quest, however, Etty was very, very cold (one might even say “hypothermic”). Jake spent the rest of the day dutifully warming her up. It was at that moment that Etty realized his potential as her personal space heater. This solidified her commitment to him.
While we were in Grenada, Spain, we hiked to the top of a very tall hill. At the peak, Jake said to Etty, “The view can’t compare to you.”
Just kidding. He did not say that. But, it would have been very sweet if he did.
You can only see one side of Etty’s hair here - and for good reason. On this trip, Jake tried to give Etty a haircut. Emphasis on “tried.” The other side of her hair (not shown) was approximately 2 inches shorter. But as they say, love is patient.
Jake originally wasn’t a huge fan of this picture because his hair was in his face. However, Etty really liked it. And as Jake has learned throughout the years, he must like what Etty likes. And now, this is one of his favorite pictures.
Here is a lovely beach picture from Turks and Caicos. Jake was kind enough to pause from throwing rocks into the water to pose for it. Etty always appreciates the sacrifices he makes for her.
This was from the first wedding we attended together. Little did Etty know that Jake was planning her proposal at the time.
And finally, what leads us here: the proposal. While we would love to elaborate on the loving words said in the moment, we blacked out from the rush of adrenaline. So this is all you get.