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How They Met
Jessica and Daniel met while in college at USI. Daniel had just ended his relationship with another girl and Jessica was in the throws of ending her relationship with her current boyfriend at the time. He had gone to her apartment to study calculus with her roommate, who warned Jessica he was cute. Jessica was, in her words, “a mess,” so she hid in her room so Daniel wouldn’t see her. Eventually she found her way out of her self-imposed banishment and to the kitchen table where she and Daniel began conversing. They discovered they had many of the same interests and, from that point on, Jessica couldn’t get Daniel out of her head.
Over the next three months, Jessica did everything she could to find an excuse to run into Daniel on campus, at parties, at the library, you name it! While their friendship was blossoming, Daniel confided in Jessica that he wasn’t ready to be in a relationship again. All the while Jessica was falling head over heals for him.
Just as suddenly as their friendship began, Daniel stopped responding to Jessica’s texts and phone calls. She was heartbroken. But life, school, and time marched on. Six months later she randomly ran into Daniel at a fair and they began talking again. Another four months of casual texting, chatting, and dates passed. Finally, Daniel told Jessica he wanted her all to himself… as his girlfriend, that is. But Jessica already knew she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.
The Courtship
During their dating years, Daniel was in medical school in Indianapolis. Jessica was finishing nursing school as well and eventually began working in Evansville, IN. Being in a long distance relationship as well as dealing with the rigors of academic and professional life, they had been together for 5 1/2 years before Daniel finally popped the question. Plus, he told Jessica he wanted his proposal to be a complete surprise. He didn’t want to give her any hints it was coming and even refused to take her ring shopping. All of this led Jessica to question if their courtship was leading anywhere, but Daniel assured her that he would never waste their time dating her if he didn’t intend on marrying her. That was enough for Jessica, so they rarely talked about marriage.
The Proposal
After a long night shift at the hospital, Jessica woke up the afternoon of May 11, 2019 and quickly called Daniel. He had just come into town from Indianapolis. He told her he was on his way to her apartment and wanted to take her out to dinner. He showed up without her having any time to freshen up; her was hair a mess, her were teeth unbrushed, and she was still in her pajamas. Jessica had an adorable puppy, Lily, and thought they should take some time to play with and exercise her before heading out. She suggested Daniel take Lily to the park while she showered and got ready for dinner, but Daniel insisted that she come with him, messy hair and all. Jessica agreed and they headed out in the pouring rain to give their sweet puppy some attention.
While tossing the ball for Lily, Daniel threw it in the wrong direction and distracted Jessica by telling her to watch how cute the pup was while chasing after it. When Jessica turned back she found Daniel down on one knee, asking her to marry him. She was in complete shock and Daniel achieved the surprise proposal he had always wanted! Jessica was over the moon excited and says, “He did it perfectly!” Her only regret is not having the time to look her best for the occasion. Luckily she’ll get the chance to spruce up on her wedding day to make up for it, though!
The Couple
When the two aren’t working, Jessica and Daniel love spoiling their dogs, Lily and Jasmine, dining at home and out, going to baseball games and concerts, and spending time with their friends. Jessica loves to run and Daniel loves movies, video games, and watching sports. They have a mutual love for the medical field, as Daniel just graduated from Medical School as an Anesthesiologist and Jessica is already a Labor and Delivery Nurse. All of these years they have never known what it is like to be in a relationship without one of them being in school, so I’m sure they are looking forward to the next few months of being school-free as they prepare for their wedding coming up in the fall!
When asked to describe each other in 5 words, Jessica said Daniel is, “ambitious, compassionate, loving, handsome & faithful,” and, “my favorite thing about Daniel is his pure heart.” Daniel said Jessica is, “beautiful, thoughtful, a dog-mom, smart, and perseverant,” and, “my favorite thing about Jessica is how determined she is in all that she does.” Well, I can tell you that all those years of perseverance, patience, hard work, love, and faithfulness has paid off!
The Wedding
The future Mr. and Mrs. Mann will be tying the knot this October in front of all of their friends and family at the Vanderburgh 4-H Center. Jessica is most excited to finally become Daniel’s wife, and Daniel can’t wait to see how beautiful Jessica will be donned in her wedding best. I’m excited for all of the above plus the gorgeous, thoughtful, and highly anticipated celebration that will accompany Daniel and Jessica’s nuptials!
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