Jared and Heather had the unique experience of growing up in the same town. Being a larger town, the two didn’t actually meet until they attended the same middle school, around 11 years old. Having attended different elementary schools, they naturally had separate friend groups. And while our groom has always been the fun, outgoing person he is today, our bride had to work through a “cute” shy phase to get there, so the two weren’t friends just yet!

It wasn’t until the end of their middle school careers that our bride and groom found some mutual friends and quickly felt a spark. They briefly dated, for about a week, which in middle school feels like a lifetime.

As mentioned, this was a large town the two grew up in. So after their brief time together in middle school, they were separated and attended rival regional high schools. Later they went to different colleges with our groom attending Syracuse University and our bride earning her degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University. 

Right after college they started running in the same friend group and finally became good friends. Even when Jared moved across the country to California, they stayed in touch and saw each other during the holidays over these 6 years.

When Jared finally returned home, Heather had moved to Jersey City, commuting to NYC for work. Luckily enough, Jared decided to move to the Upper East Side and became a short path ride (and Q ride) away from her. 

The night before Christmas Eve in 2024, while out in the city with friends, they finally felt that spark again and rekindled the connection that started all the way back in middle school. After that night, the two went out frequently, and started to find excuses to talk on the phone for hours at a time.

Our bride and groom quickly discovered they were perfect for each other. They bonded over new movies, exploring NYC’s restaurants and cocktail bars, and of course, their shared love of travel. Their first trip together was to Sedona, AZ, where Jared asked Heather out, and she said yes. Later, in Lake Como, IT, he asked her to move in with him, and again, she said yes. Finally, in Turks and Caicos, Jared asked Heather to marry him, and, of course, she said yes!

On August 7th, 2026, in Ithaca, NY, they look forward to sharing their next big adventure with all their friends and family as they say “yes” together.