Also, special thanks to those who donated to our Global Giving projects. Together we raised a total of $750 for Hagar International, which paid for 12 months of housing for a girl who recovers from human trafficking, including 4 months of counseling for abuse, and 1 month of spending money for 25 girls. Thank you for helping share the love across the world.

With that, thank you again! We love you, God bless, and wishing you a happy new year!

Much love,

Jamie & Ryan

Sunset in Nadi, Fiji. Photo by Ryan.

Much credit and many thanks is due one of my maids of honor, Irene, who helped us design our invitations; we honestly could not have done it without her (or her enduring patience of my OCD-like tendencies in the 11th hour haha). Between the three of us it was a half dozen trips to the paper store and countless hours of editing and tweaking. We also had the help of our awesome invitation assembly crew: Brie, Casey, and Kevin who put them together over two weekends of spray glue, magazines, and wax. (Did we mention that we have an amazing wedding party!?)

Thanks again everyone for all your help and support as get ready for our big day. Hope to see you all in August! Please remember to RSVP by June 12th. Thanks!

P.S. Also for any other wedding planning news, you can follow me on Twitter @jamiebride.

Photo by Taylor Hain

We ended up working on several class projects together, studying late nights for tests, saving each other seats in class, and also going out on the weekends. We also served as President and Vice President of our major’s undergrad association and worked together in a computer lab as help desk assistants.

During Spring Break that first year, I took a trip to Whistler, BC for some skiing and racked up some international phone charges because I kept calling Jamie. When I got back, that is when things became official. We started dating late March 2004 and the rest is history!

Ryan grew up in Eden Prairie, MN, a suburb of Minneapolis with his two younger brothers Paul and Kyle. After graduating from Eden Prairie High School, Ryan moved to Seattle to attend the University of Washington. Ryan earned a Bachelor of Science in Informatics and began his job as a Consultant for Avanade, a consultancy based in downtown Seattle.

Ryan enjoys photography, the outdoors, hiking, playing poker, and any kind of gadget that he can afford. His interests include current events, technology related news, and investing.

About Jamie

Jamie grew up in Port Orchard, WA, a small town on the peninsula with her younger brother Frankie. After graduating from South Kitsap High School, she moved to Seattle to attend the University of Washington, where she earned degrees in Informatics and Economics. She currently is a Website Optimization Strategist for Razorfish, a digital media agency.

Jamie enjoys traveling, going out with friends, reading, hiking, the Internet, wining and dining. Her interests include economics, American history, social justice, Shaolin Kung Fu, and pumpkin muffins.

Re-enactment of the proposal on Waikiki

How it Happened

It was our third day on vacation in Maui and we started the day by the ocean on Kaanapali beach. So the morning was spent lying on the beach, playing in the sand, and boogie boarding right outside our resort. As the afternoon wore on, I had a minor wipe-out, so we decided it was a good time to do some more sight-seeing.

Our next stop was downtown to explore old town Lahaina, which was a relaxing way to enjoy the rest of the day. Towards the end of the afternoon we went to rest in the shade of the world’s largest banyan tree before the night’s big event: The Feast at Lele.

The Feast at Lele was the luau we decided to attend, but it was less typical-Hawaiian luau and more private table sunset dinner with Polynesian show. It had all the charm of a luau: the hula, the 5-course meal, the open bar, etc., but without the usual cheese. It was easily one of the most diverting parts of our trip. So after we enjoyed our meals, our tropical drinks, and the slew of performances, all in all I thought it had been a perfect day.

At the end of the night, I suggested we walk along the beach one last time before retiring. So happily recalling the days revelries, we walked in the sand, me calling Ryan to come sit and appreciate the crashing waves. Except when I turned in the dark to see him, Ryan wasn’t sitting, he was kneeling with ring in hand.

Photos from the day:

The ring!