I almost feel like I need to give a warning to this love story. Like, “Read at your own risk, guys… this one is going to force you to step things up a notch.”
Yeah… that should work.
So, why the warning? Well, because Andy definitely took his pursuit of Jackie to the next level. Starting with their first meeting.
Jackie was in San Diego for a work trip. Realizing she had some extra time on her hands, she stopped into a bookstore and was flipping through some pages in the art section. Her purse was on the floor next to her, and the next thing she knew—Andy tripped right over it. We’re talking a huge, horrible face plant kind of trip. She was, of course, embarrassed for him. And she felt bad he’d fallen over her bag (even though she was also mostly convinced he must be a giant klutz). So she agreed to go to coffee with him, as a way of easing his embarrassment. It just so happened that they realized over coffee they had an instant connection.
And the rest is history. She moved to San Diego a year later.
Here’s the kicker: Jackie just learned a few months ago that Andy’s initial trip, which led to them having coffee and starting a romance, was totally staged. He did it completely on purpose, because apparently just walking up and introducing himself to this beautiful woman didn’t feel worthy of the potential he saw.
Oh, but that’s not all… Andy also went next level when it came to their proposal. Jackie thought they were going to a pop-up dinner. Instead, Andy had recruited UCSD dancers to break out in a surprise flash mob on the bus there. When he got down on one knee, she was completely and totally shocked—so much so that it actually took her a beat to say, “yes.”
The whole thing was absolutely adorable, if you want to check out the YouTube video!
These two waited a year and a half between their proposal and wedding, mostly because they were looking for the perfect location—someplace that would feel authentic to them. That was pretty much the theme of their entire wedding; authenticity. The décor was all made by Jackie, the guest list consisted only of people this couple truly wanted at their big day (no obligation invites), and everything, down to the most minute detail, was there for a reason—not because of tradition or anyone else’s idea of what a wedding should look like.
Because of that, Jackie describes the day as magic. She explained to me that they set an intention months before the event to make it a day full of love, joy and play. And with that intention in mind, they both aimed to be completely present in every single moment. “The day was seamless,” she explained. “And not because there weren’t rocky parts. It was seamless because we decided that our connection to each other and our guests was more important than everything going as planned. That is why the day was magic, and it was also an amazing lesson in our lives.”
For their honeymoon, this happy couple is jetting off to Italy at the end of November. While there, they plan to connect, chill, do community service, and eat and drink whatever they want! Considering the fact that Andy is a foodie and Jackie loves herself a good glass of wine, Italy definitely seems like the perfect choice for celebrating their happily ever after!