Tom and Jess

Jess and Tom met their freshman year at Miami University, where they shared many classes and lived in the same dorm designated for the school’s Architecture & Interior Design department. Their friendship within a shared group soon progressed to dating for the remainder of college. After graduation, Tom began work at an architecture firm in Los Angeles, and Jess certainly did not object to moving with him to sunny California. While living in Venice, the beachy side of west LA, they formed a new circle of friends, enjoyed their respective architecture firm jobs, and often talked about their future together.

Living far from each of their families, Jess and Tom would spend Thanksgiving Days together cooking a feast for two. Thanksgiving Day of 2009 seemed like every other, beginning with a last minute run to the grocery store to claim the (always) forgotten dinner rolls. Together, they prepared enough mashed potatoes to feed a family of 12 for a week, checked the bird periodically, and waited for the feast to begin. Tom had additional plans for the holiday. Months earlier, his mom visited and brought along her grandmother’s diamond. Tom kept the diamond hidden above the kitchen cabinets for months, awaiting the special day. When it finally arrived, they were in the kitchen cooking, listening to the latest tunes, and slow dancing in their pajamas when Tom suddenly landed on one knee. Jess initially questioned if Tom had hurt himself dancing and then realized his true intent. Tom told Jess that he loved her and asked her to marry him. Flustered, she responded initially, “Are you serious?” followed by the more graceful, “Yes, of course!”

Since their engagement, Jess and Tom underwent many big changes beyond planning their wedding. They applied to separate graduate schools and committed to attending the programs that were the perfect fit for each of them — in different cities. Although they knew it would be difficult, they knew they could make it work. So, they packed up life in LA, drove cross-country, threw a crazy engagement party, and started life as grad students.

Tom is now studying to receive his Masters in Architecture from Columbia in New York City, and Jess is working towards her Masters in Fine Arts in Graphic Design from Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore. They visit each other as often as possible while trying to survive the demands of graduate school. They are counting down the days until their married life can begin and look forward to spending the weekend of June 25th celebrating their marriage with the people they love: their family and friends — both new and old.