About the couple

We met in Boston and our first date was a picnic. Ryan tried to cook and brought Zojirushi's (ie Japanese Thermoses) of wine. Jackie thought Ryan looked like a dork with a cooler but rolled with it anyway. Soon after, it turned out that two of their closest friends were having separate weddings two miles apart in a remote part of Vermont on the same weekend. It seems like it was meant to be. We spent our first Christmas in Japan where Ryan met Jackie's family and spent a lot of time smiling and nodding with the 7 critical adjectives required of any white person in Japan. When Ryan's company took him out to SF in April 2015, there was a quiet resolve to get in the same location and a LOT of cross country flying. Jackie finally joined in January 2016 and we've lived out here ever since. Ryan knew from the first date that he could marry Jackie, but it took him about 20 months to get up the courage to ask. He proposed on a trip to Japan with Arjun and Rasika - close friends. The flight that took them to Japan was delayed, causing Ryan (perhaps for the first time ever) to freak about timing. The plane landed and it was a sprint through baggage claim to do a 'scavenger hunt' he had prepared for Arjun and Rasika to get to know a bit of Tokyo. After leisurely showers and an unwelcome nod to what was about to happen ('Cutie, are you sure you want to wear *that* to dinner?'), Ryan only had time to find somewhere to propose around Shinjuku, known more for its dense comsopolitan streets than its beauty. So in front of Godzilla, while pretending to take a picture of Jackie, he pulled out the ring, got down on one knee and asked her to marry him. She was surprised he asked, he (along with pretty much everyone else) was surprised she said yes. Throughout their time together, there have been fake murders, real sharks, quiet afternoons, and a fair bit of whiskey. Our wedding is 1 week before the 3rd anniversary of our 1st date.