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Coming soon: Jessica and Alex, tying the knot on April 26!

Jessica and Alex met at James Madison University (JMU) during their freshman year in 2005. Alex noticed Jessica first during an orientation session where they were placed in the same discussion group (Jessica actually does not remember Alex being in the group!). In any case, they saw each other later that year at a party, and, in a moment of foreshadowing, Alex told Jessica that they would be best friends forever. Alex knew then what he wanted in life, and Jessica would soon follow when she saw how patient and thoughtful he was with her.

Alex proposed on August 17 of 2012 in Washington D.C. during an evening that he planned for Jessica who was coming back to town after time spent in Spain visiting family. On a walk to the Botanical Gardens, Alex suddenly wanted to sit down. Little did Jessica know, Alex was setting the stage for his proposal by telling her how much he loved her and how perfect they were for each other. Jessica was somewhat surprised by Alex's speech: "I was completely floored and flattered, but was not expecting that from Alex since he isn't romantic on a daily basis. In my mind I started thinking if it was an important date and went running down dates…not my birthday, not his birthday, not an anniversary…” and couldn't figure out why he was being especially romantic. I didn't think Alex was proposing at that moment because we had never looked at rings and he always joked at how he wanted to wait until 30 to get married" recalls Jessica.

Jessica was so confused by Alex's musings that she interrupted him to talk about her dermatologist appointment and her new prescription. Hello mood killer! Luckily, Alex picked up the conversation where he left off and asked Jessica to stand up as he went down on one knee and revealed a little something he had hidden in tissue paper.

In Jessica's own words: "At this point, my jaw drops and I don’t remember anything that happened except that I was crying and Alex having to repeat himself several times if I would marry him. I don’t know if I ever gave him a straight answer, but I mumbled something and then put the ring on my own finger because Alex was taking too long. Alex’s version is that I snatched the ring from him and never officially said yes. Too bad we don’t have a video to settle our dispute. At this point I am crying and staring down at my finger in disbelief. I never doubted in my mind that I would say yes, I just didn’t expect it to happen when it did. We sat back down on the bench where he started proposing and soaked in the moment".

The romantic evening continued at the Botanical Gardens where Jessica was telling everyone that they were engaged, followed by dinner at the W Hotel steakhouse where they celebrated with champagne. After dinner, Alex suggested to top-off the night by going to the P.O.V. lounge to get a drink and enjoy the rooftop views of the city. The last surprise of the evening happened when her parents, Alex’s parents, and friends from high school, JMU, and work were waiting for them to celebrate! It was a wonderful night full of emotions and happy tears.

Congratulations to both! The countdown has started...10 days to go :)

Bodamaestra is honored to have the opportunity to share in your very special day!