In May of 2017, Amanda received a text message from one of her best friends, Kathleen, saying she had someone for Amanda to meet. Kathleen worked with Jake's cousin, Erin, and they wanted to set the two up. So Amanda reached out to the quiet, attractive guy she had been told about and asked Jake out on a date. To her surprise, he agreed to meet for drinks at World of Beer. On the evening of June 2, 2017 they set out to meet each other for the first time. It was the last first date they would ever be on.

Fast forward 3 years, through countless dates, several vacations, camping trips and hikes, the BEST Dad jokes, a one sided love for all the sports things (both fantasy and real) and surviving through a pandemic together, bringing us to August 9, 2020. After all their trips, concerts, and plans were cancelled Jake and Amanda decided to spend the day outdoors. They packed for a hike at Mount Hope Reservoir in Oneida. After walking around the lake, they came to a bridge with a small waterfall and foliage that reminded Jake of Jurassic Park. They stopped for a drink and quick snack. After taking in the sites and packing back up, Jake handed Amanda a mug engraved with the initials "ALR." She immediately looked over at Jake, already down on one knee and asking her to marry him. The answer was an easy one . . . "YES!" We can't wait for you to join us in celebrating our love for each other!