How it All Began

We first met in 2014, living on the same floor during our freshman year at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. From the moment we crossed paths, we became best friends and were absolutely inseparable. Jacob was in Sigma Alpha Mu (Sammy) and I was in Alpha Epsilon Phi (AEPhi). While Jacob was busy mastering business in the Wisconsin School of Business, I was sharpening my writing skills in the School of Journalism.

Together, we attended countless date parties, formals, and game-day tailgates at the legendary Sammy house on the water. Our late nights were spent hopping from one Madison bar to the next, with Brats and the Kollege Klub being our staples. But it wasn’t until we spent a semester abroad—Jacob in Barcelona and me in Florence—that something shifted. We found ourselves reuniting in a new European city every weekend, and it became clear that we only wanted to be with each other. On March 31, 2017, after three years of friendship, we made it official.

A New Chapter in NYC

After graduating from Wisconsin in May 2018, we both moved to New York City to start our careers. Jacob dove into real estate, and I began my journey in advertising. We navigated the chaos of the pandemic while living apart, but finally, in October 2023, we made our long-awaited move into an apartment in Chelsea together—officially closing the distance and beginning the next chapter of our lives.

The Proposal

Fast forward to August 1, 2024. Jacob was supposedly on a work trip in D.C., and I was deep in a client meeting at work. Then, a knock at the door—it was a co-worker with a box of crullers from Daily Provisions, a very strange situation. Confused, I opened the box and found not pastries, but dozens of pictures of us, along with a post-it note that read, "Em, open the box and then just trust me. -Jacob." Inside the box was a letter from Jacob, instructing me to head downstairs, where a car would be waiting to take me on a journey.

When I walked out of my office, I heard someone calling out, "Emmy! Emmy!" It was my little sister, my best friend in the world, Chelsea, who would be my personal escort for the day. Our first stop was The Modern, where I was surprised by Jacob’s younger brother, Joey, holding a bouquet of flowers and a letter. Inside? Two tickets to Portugal, a trip I’d been dying to take. After screaming loud enough to disrupt the entire restaurant, I was back on my way.

Next up was Union Square Cafe. Surely Jacob would be there this time, right? Wrong. Instead, I was greeted with champagne, caviar, and yet another letter from Jacob, letting me know it was time to “get your ass downtown” because he had something to ask me.

Finally, the journey led me to Manhatta—a stunning restaurant on the 60th floor, offering the most breathtaking views of Manhattan. As I walked down the hallway, I heard our favorite song playing and turned the corner to see Jacob waiting for me at the end of a path lined with candles and white flowers. After tears, laughs, (very loud) screams, and more tears, Jacob got down on one knee and asked, “Emily, will you spend the rest of your life with me?” My answer? “Obviously.”

But, in true Jacob fashion, the surprises didn’t end there. As if all of my dreams hadn't already come true, Jacob had also gotten us tickets to see Taylor Swift in London—something I’ve been dreaming about since I was 13 years old. And for the final touch, the ACTUAL last surprise to conclude the most amazing day of my entire life, Jacob walked me into a private dining room filled with the people who mean most to us in this world - our families. We ate, drank, laughed, cried, and celebrated the past, the present, and most importantly the future.

And speaking of the future... June 13th 2026 can't come soon enough.