personal stats: Jen jokes she was lucky to escape from the rinky-dink town of Winter Haven, FL (where the weekend activities included mud bogging!) before attending Queens College in Charlotte, NC. After graduating with a Bachelor's degree in English (I guess that means I will diagram sentences for money!) Jen worked as a reporter for newspapers and still freelances from time-to-time.

Family: Jen has two brothers, one older, one a lot younger and is very close to her mom. She and Mike also share custody of a cat named Ollie.

Interesting fact: Jen has lost 140 pounds, quit a job she was unhappy at, found religion and meeting and falling in love just completed the package! ABOUT MICHAEL Michael is an Electrical Engineer for Harris Corp. in Palm Bay and is working on his Master's degree at Tech. He'll hopefully matriculate in August of next year! Personal stats: Mike grew up in an Atlanta suburb, so he's city saavy, and graduated with highest honors from Georgia Tech (GO JACKETS!). Family:

Interesting fact:In addition to mom and dad, Mike has two brothers, one of whom has a six-toed cat named Gideon. HOW WE MET We met at a Wednesday night going-away party/barbecue set up by a former college student of mine. She'd been bugging me for weeks about this ''great guy' she had for me. Neither of us wanted to meet and in fact, the night we met, Mike didn't even know I was going to be at the BBQ. Because I was working as a reporter back in those days, I had to get up really really early (4 a.m.) and Mike didn't even arrive at the bbq until close to 8 p.m. I literally had about 15 minutes to chat him up. I think I bombarded him with questions! As I recall, he answered me in between bites of his hamburger.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the both of us, the entire BBQ party was high fiving and thumbs-upping one another around the table when they saw we had hit it off.

We ended the first meeting by exchanging cell numbers (not home) and setting up a group date for Halloween two weeks later. But about a week later, Mike called me to set up a private first date. We went to the movies and saw Runaway Jury on a Thursday. Our second date was a lunch date because I had to work the night shift. We really hit it off at that date and learned so much about each other and it all seemed to click after that! I couldn't think straight after the date and I remember that I was so scatterbrained after the date, that I had multiple problems with the website I was building for work. Yikes.

We became exclusive shortly after that and I think we both knew it was a match when, through the course of conversation and a quick trip to Mike's apartment, we discovered we had multiple common interests including: a love of travel, cartoons (Simpsons, Family Guy, Futurama, God, the Devil and Bob) and mint chocolate chip ice cream!

But, there are differences, Jen likes diet soda and veggies, whereas mike preferrs regular soda and carbs. Jen drinks rum, Mike drinks beer. Jen spends money on clothes, Mike wears the same stuff until it wears out! WHEN WE GOT ENGAGED January 1, 2005 HOW IT HAPPENED Mike proposed at the stroke of midnight New Years. We were on a week-long cruise and had just had a lobster dinner when we headed to a disco at the back of the ship (Costa Atlantica out of Ft. Lauderdale!) We sat in the audience for a while and then went onto the dance floor about 10 minutes before midnight. There we were, champagne in hand, dancing to the countdown. Because Mike's hand was on my hip and the boat was really rocking back and forth because of heavy seas, I admit, that at the exact countdown, I was not focused on Mike.

The Italian hostess began her countdown and by the time I got to one and turned around, there was Mike on his knee, ring in hand. He said "Will You Marry Me" and I started to cry and say "Oh My God!"

It took a second, and a quick reminder by Mike ( "well?!") that an answer was needed, but I said yes and he then slipped the ring on my finger!

I then spent the next hour or so running around the ship dragging Mike, telling anyone and everyone that we had just gotten engaged! The funniest part was, about half the guests on the ship didn't even speak English! I didn't care, though, I wanted everyone to see my ring and meet my wonderful, romantic fiance!

As it happens, we'd met two couples each who had been married over 50 years. One couple (52 years of marriage) gave us the advice "respect one another!" The other couple gave us the advice to "love one another!" We all swapped stories and I think I babbled on a little too much, I was so giddy!

For the next hour we wandered around, dancing in another disco, getting pictures taken with the two of us, etc. Then, we went to the midnight desert buffet and celebrated the New Year -- East Coast Time Zone (we were on Puerto Rico time, meaning we were an hour ahead!) Two other couples at our desert table celebrated with us and we decided that the buffet was like an engagement party.

The next day, the ship docked in Nassau, Bahamas. Mike and I had an entire day before we told any of our family members! It was so nice having this extra private time together. We talked a little about the wedding itself, plans etc. But mostly, we just hung out, watched part of the Junkanoo parade, wandered around the Atlantis Hotel and enjoyed our engagement day!

I still wanted to tell anyone and everyone who'd listen, and in fact I managed to get up on stage at Senor Frogs and announce the engagement to the entire group at the bar before I sang Karaoke for Mike.

So, we got back to Florida on Sunday, Jan. 2 and immediately began calling everyone-- everyone except my mother that is. As luck would have it, I was getting together with my mother that night and was able to tell her in person. She was the first family member to see my engagement ring! She cried, I cried and we then called two of her brothers to tell them. I'd already told a third, but sworn him to secrecy until I could tell my mom. We also called my brother, who himself is engaged! My mom cried to him and said how proud and excited that both of her kids are getting married. WHEN & WHERE June 5, 2005
Melbourne, FL ABOUT THE BIG DAY The service was at Temple Beth Sholom in Melbourne. The reception was going to be at the Officer's Club at Patrick Air Force Base, beachside ( can you get any more Brevard County?) but it burned down on 1/31 leaving us without a reception site. However, it all worked out for the best as a week later we got the NCO Club, which is also at Patrick AFB and is a nicer space, albeit with out the same view. Wedding day went something like this: Jen and mom awake at 7 a.m.; hair and make-up artists come to the house and get her beautiful! bridal party arrive at Jen's house whenever they want to......most got there around 9:30 a.m. limo arrives at Jen's house 9:30 a.m. and champagne goes on ice! limo and bridal party arrive at Temple Beth Sholom at 10 a.m. for photos, video, etc. ceremony musicians arrive 10:30, as did Rabbi Margolis kettubah signing (Jewish marriage certificate) and marriage license in Rabbi's study 11 a.m. ceremony began 11:40 ceremony ended and Jen and Mike got a few minutes alone in the Rabbi's study before heading off to the reception bridal party rode to reception with their own families (Jen and Mike ride in limo) The wedding itself was a magical event, very beautiful and couldn't have been better!