Jake and Sarah Jean (Wedding)
When I first met with Jake and Sarah Jean to talk about their wedding, I asked them “What do you envision for your wedding day? What would be a dream come true?”
Their answer was quick and certain, and it moved me to tears. “That the presence of God would be there and impact people in a way we never thought possible.”
How powerful! How selfless!
I felt deep within me that this is the kind of couples I want to serve. Kingdom couples.
I asked Sarah Jean to share their love story with us, and I was so honored that she agreed to!
Here goes:
How we fell in love.
In the eyes of Jake. We started dating.....then we got Married. -Jake
I am going to start with a little back story. Jake and I first met back in 2016 through mutual friends, around the time I moved to Pennsylvania. I don't think he knew what to think of me. I was very talkative and he was very quiet. We were in a large group and I decided to pick on the new guys that joined us, which was Jake and his friend Alvin, who talked more than he did that night. Jake thought I was a bit loud and annoying. Yet somehow he continued to hang around me or maybe it was just because we happened to be around the same friend group and the fact that we attended the same young adults group. Over the past few years we continued to be friends. I loved talking to Jake and never understood why we weren't ever more than friends.
One day I mentioned to a friend that I kinda liked him and could maybe go for him,but it wasn't long until I found out he liked another girl at the time so I completely shelved the idea to never go back to it for long time. I started dating another guy. I remember telling Jake, his response was “really, that guy?” I don't think he knew why he was saying that at the time. I was really hurt by the comment and I didn't understand why he didn't support it. Time would tell why later. I'm pretty sure I only talked to him a handful of times for the next year and half.
In 2018 I made the decision to go to Harvest Net School ministry which resulted in being a single woman and discovering who I was in Christ and what I wanted in life.
In this time I processed with Jake alot about school and life whenever I saw him since he had done school the year before me. I didn't realize how close we had started to become since I saw him strictly as a friend,never thought otherwise and he never did either. This is something both us talked about since we got together.
(It’s Ash again! Have you ever seen a more perfect first look?!? Ok now back to the story!)
In August 2019 Jake took a job offer to serve as staff at Harvest Net 2 days a week. (Side note: I might have encouraged him quite a bit to do this. I was going in as a second year student, so it was exciting for me to have him join as staff knowing his heart for people and the Lord.)
Fun fact: I had become completely at peace with being single and serving the Lord in every way I knew how to at that time as a single woman. I told God I will go or do whatever was needed of me and do it single however long he needed me to be single.
Fast forward to October it dawned on me one day when I was processing with the Lord that I like Jake as more than a friend. I didn't tell anyone for about two weeks, then finally, I told a few of my friends who told me they totally saw that happening.
I didn't. I talked to my mentor at the time. She said I should pursue it. It was, to me, a total God thing that I could almost NOT believe. At this time I was still processing/kinda wrestling with the Lord because I felt He told me this would be my husband and I was like NO I don't want to hear that! I wanted to date someone for a while and then decide, but the Lord had other plans. Jake started visiting me at work the same week I told the girls I liked him. He spent four hours one day at the coffee shop talking to me whenever I had no customers.
That weekend I invited him to hangout with a few friends. We hung out two days in a row with friends, drinking coffee, hiking, and lots of talking. I convinced him to let me drive his Audi and he actually let me! We ended up trading cars for a few days since he wasn't going to need his for during that time. We had a class trip coming up to Salem,Massachusetts.
I grabbed the front seat on the six hour van ride, Jake was driving of course. While in Salem in the middle of much spiritual warfare being halloween weekend and we were partnering in a 72 hour prayer and worship burn I decided it would be a great place to tell Jake how I felt about him. So the one evening after dinner i pulled him aside and told him point blank I really liked him alot and he told he (words falling out his mouth) he also liked me but with a big "BUT" which I had few concerns about too, but I had already talked to the right people. So I told him we would be allowed to date, but I was willing to wait until after school was over if that would put him at ease. We hugged. He wanted time to think.
The next day I was a mess, due to other reasons but also the suspense of waiting on him. We didn't talk for most of that day except him checking on me once. I spent most of the day in the prayer room.
We drove home in complete silence. He went hunting and the next day and had time to be alone and think. He texted me asking where I was going to church that next day. We planned to meet at Prince Street Cafe after church. We talked till they closed and knew then and there it was a forever thing. We met again that Tuesday over coffee. That Friday evening we did once again. That's a lot of coffee dates in one weeks time and a lot of hours spent there. Friday he asked me to be his girlfriend.
We talked about our desires, dreams, and goals. Friday night as we were leaving Jake hugged me tight, and said I LOVE YOU with tears streaming down his face. I stood in shock. It was very unexpected. I never knew you could fall in love so quickly, and truly, meaning it, and knowing it was a forever kind of love.
November 8th was the day we became official. That next Tuesday, Jake's brother was getting married. Jake asked if I wanted to go to Amish wedding where I'd be meeting his entire family for the very first time. It was a great time. By the end of November 2019 Jake had bought a ring. Which he somehow was unable to keep a secret about and I figured it out almost right away. That’s still how it is today, I have a very hard time keeping anything from him even when I want to surprise him.
Jake asked me to spend forever with him on Feb 1st 2020. It was very simple, yet so perfect. He did surprise me that time! I thought he was gonna ask me the night before but it never happened, so I decided he must have something else planned. Which he did have, but couldn't wait. He kept asking me questions that whole night while we were at his house, but I didn't actually think he would do it then. I was trying to leave because it was getting late, pushing 10:30pm, but he kept stalling me. Finally he went back in his room, I was sitting on the stairs leaving to go to my car when he asked me to come up. He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him! It was the best thing ever! It was perfect and I couldn't have asked for it to have happened any other way. It was beautiful and very much "us."
I cried and freaked out the whole way home. We started wedding planning and had everything figured out, then Covid happened. But honestly, the best thing happened for our wedding the moment we prayed that God's will would be done over our wedding and over our guests. That not only would people leave changed from our wedding, but us as well.
It was the most perfect day. The weather was absolutely beautiful, my family and closest friends were all gathered in my in-laws ' backyard. There were so many GOD Moments all day.
I got to kiss my best friend for the very first time after we said "I do."
I didn't know you could fall in love more and more every day. It has been 2 months of marriage, the best 2 months ever. We have gotten to grow and learn from one another.
Jake and I are very similar in a lot of ways which doesn't always work but we have enough balance that we work great. The best part of marriage is learning how to keep God at the center and everything else comes out of that. When we try to make decisions on our own we tend to clash a bit more. Jake is the kindest,most loving,caring person I have ever met. He truly helps me be a better woman every single day. I love how we can be whole people yet in Christ we are one.
Jake and I promised each other to always have God in the center of all we do. We aren't perfect, but we will try our best to follow the path The Lord has set before us.
I know this is not your typical love story. But in our story, God has truly shown me his heart and his goodness. It is everlasting. God will always make a way as long as his people are willing to listen. When God is in control no matter the turmoil it is worth it. His way is the best way. Walking with Him doesn't always look like diamonds and pearls but with his peace any mountain looks easy when we pray.
Wow. What a story.
And it’s just the beginning. I feel that deep within me. This couple is going to be so powerful.
What an honor to capture such a day.
I’m telling you, even while writing this, and reliving their day through pictures, I’m a bit of a mess. I’m sitting in a coffee shop with tears in my eyes.
When they told me they wanted to see people changed through their day, I did not know that one of those people would be me.
The presence of God and the purity of their love impacted me so heavily, I felt like I walked away a different person.
What a powerful, powerful testimony!
Thank you so so much Jake and Sarah Jean for trusting me to capture you incredible day! What an honor!
Ash