Wedding Date on Jan 8, 2021

Despite growing up in the same town, only four miles apart from one another, Jess and Keith didn’t meet until college. Whether they first met at a UCF philanthropy event or a party is a debate among family and friends to this day, but they truly got to know one another when Keith invited Jess on a weekend long fraternity formal in Savannah, Georgia. It did not go well. While Jess was having a good time, Keith, who was responsible for the health and safety of everyone at the event, was MIA for the duration of the weekend as he was ensuring about 100 college students didn’t get kicked out of the hotel. Jess went to work at a resident camp for the rest of the summer where Keith wrote her letters and she subsequently ignored them. Upon returning to UCF in the fall it became the mission of Jess’ friends to ensure Keith and Jess ended up together. Which, on December 1st, 2013, they did. Flash forward 3 years of college, 2 dogs and a move to Boston, Jess and Keith were set to get married March 21, 2020. The two of them drove down to Florida from Boston the weekend before their wedding, and that Monday the earth collectively stopped. People are always eager to give you advice on how to plan your wedding. What people don’t tell you, is how to plan a wedding when life hurts. It’s hard to plan a wedding in general, let alone when it seems like life is coming at you from 5000 ways. Deciding to postpone their wedding was a really hard decision, but with the help of an amazing vendor team, Keith and Jess were able to navigate the situation and postpone their wedding to October 2, 2020. As you all know, the mayhem didn’t end there. Life had other plans. With the pandemic not easing up and Keith’s father in the hospital, Jess and Keith postponed their wedding again to January 8th. The week of their second wedding date, Keith’s father Phil passed away. And it became clear to Jess and Keith that moving the wedding again was clearly the right choice. As January 8th approached, Jess and Keith became more anxious each and every day. Would they need to move their wedding again? If so to when? In light of much discussion, they decided to keep their wedding date of January 8th. While Jess’ father couldn’t attend due to a compromised immune system, family and friends showed up that evening ready to celebrate love. This included Jess’ grandmother, Rena. Gods timing is interesting. In the months leading up to their wedding day Keith and Jess had been praying for the same thing over and over again. Each day they asked for clarity and to be put where they’re supposed to be. “Our wedding, that day, was exactly where we were supposed to be.” What will always be remembered as the happiest day of their life will now be remembered as their last full day with Jess’ grandma. Unfortunately, the following morning she suffered from a massive brain bleed and passed soon after. Life is short, and their wedding day was the best day she had in a long time, as it was the first time that she was ever with all of her kids, grandchildren, and great grand children in one day. And she was so happy. Jess and Keith’s wedding and relationship serves as a reminder that both love and life are dynamic. And that the perfect day for you, can also be the perfect day for someone else.