It was October 2021 and after 12 years in LA, Ryel moved back to Spokane for a bit. It was COVID times and she wanted to be closer to family, but would go back to LA often for work. Jack, meanwhile, was reconsidering if LA and the acting scene was where he wanted to be. He had just gone on an audition and told himself that if he didn't get the gig, he was going to move to Denver. Well, he got the gig, decided to stay in LA and a few days later, their lives changed forever. On Tuesday, October 19, 2021, Ryel was sitting in her office in LA when a Hinge notification popped up on her phone. A "like" turned into a DM, a DM into an invitation to meet for drinks that night at the Surly Goat in West Hollywood. And the rest is history....

It was at drinks that Jack and Ryel realized how much they had in common. They both grew up in Washington, have a love for movies and TV, they love to travel (in fact, they both were in Chiang Mai, Thailand at the same time in 2018 and missed each other by one day at the same elephant sanctuary they visited), but most importantly, they made each other laugh. Ryel even went down a rabbit hole of Gemini and Leo compatibility (which surprisingly didn't scare him off). Their drink date lasted into the night. Ryel was headed back to Spokane at the end of the week, so they made the most of it and went on a date every night that week. From tacos & margaritas to dive bars listening to vinyl records, each night they got to know more about each other and by Friday, they were smitten. Two weeks later, Jack was going to be in Walla Walla and Ryel decided to drive from Spokane to Walla Walla to see him (and drink some amazing wine).

By March 2022, "I Love You's" were exchanged. By June 2022, Ryel moved back to LA and got an apartment with Jack. They were all in and Jack quickly went from being a bachelor in LA to a dog-dad family man. In 2023, they decided to move to Nashville. They bought a house, adopted two dogs, Maple and Hoagie, and are so excited for their future together.

One thing that Jack and Ryel love to do together is travel. From weekend roadtrips to European vacations, they love to explore new cities, so it was only fitting that on one of their many travel adventures, Jack popped the question on October 18, 2024 in Moodus, Connecticut, exactly 3 years to the day they met.

We are SO excited to get married and celebrate with you all!