Our Story · Janae & Kerry

Chapter One

A Summer in Houston

Our story began in Houston in the summer of 2021, at a moment when neither of us expected to be there for very long. Janae was in town for a clerkship before heading to New York, while Kerry had returned home after business school before one final quarter at Stanford.

We met the way people did in 2021: on a dating app. What started as a few dates quickly became a summer neither of us wanted to end. We knew our lives were about to take us in different directions. We just didn’t know yet how hard it would be to say goodbye.

Chapter Two

Long Distance

When summer ended, we assumed distance might make the decision for us. Instead, we kept talking, kept missing each other, and kept finding reasons to be together.

So we made it official. For the next couple of years, that meant long flights, weekends together, a lot of time on the phone, and a level of calendar coordination to rival a small company. Eventually, though, building a life together meant one of us had to make a big move.

Janae chose Los Angeles, which came with the small matter of a cross-country move, a career transition, and the dreaded California Bar. It was a leap, and one that allowed us to finally trade airport goodbyes for a home together.

Chapter Three

Coming Together

When Janae moved to Los Angeles, we finally got to share the everyday life we had been working toward.

We built a home together, settled into our routines, and became a family with Willow, who graciously made room for Kerry in her household hierarchy. We got to be there for the wins and the hard days, and to enjoy all the small, unplanned moments that only happen when you actually share a life with someone.

By the summer of 2025, Kerry had already put a plan in motion. He chose the ring, secretly met Janae’s parents to ask for their blessing, and set about making sure Janae suspected absolutely nothing. At the end of August, with Santorini's caldera behind them and a violinist playing Beyoncé’s II HANDS II HEAVEN, Kerry asked Janae to spend the rest of her life with him.

Chapter Four

And Now, Italy

When we started thinking about where we wanted to get married, Italy kept drawing us back. We fell in love with a place that felt intimate, timeless, and a little removed from the rest of the world. It felt right for the kind of celebration we wanted: surrounded by the people who have shaped our lives, with space to slow down and simply be together.

And with Italian roots on Janae’s mom’s side, it carries an added connection that makes beginning this next chapter there even more meaningful. After all the cities, flights, choices, and turns that brought us here, we get to celebrate what comes next with all of you.