A Cross-Continental Love Story and Engagement

Zoé and Jake found each other the way most great love stories begin: against all odds and across an impractical distance. Zoé was living in New Zealand when she came across Jake's profile online. He had listed Dublin, Ohio, as his location rather than Cincinnati (where he was finishing his Master’s), and having just visited Dublin, Ireland, she reached out to ask about his favorite spots. What followed was a conversation that quickly outgrew the app.

When Zoé flew back to Nebraska before relocating to California, Jake booked a flight and showed up for the weekend. By his own account, it was a dozen first dates packed into two days. Four months of long distance between San Diego and Cincinnati followed before Jake asked her father for permission at Christmastime and proposed the following June.

They were married later that same year, intentionally. Both agreed they would rather be together than stretch the planning into something elaborate. The wedding honored God and each other and the people who showed up to help make it happen, with family and friends going above and beyond at every turn.