“You guys came over to watch Mean Girls,” Jackson reminded Braden of their first meeting. Despite working together at Starbucks in Denver, it was a mutual friend who introduced them in 2017. “Jackson was funny and kind and kind of a mess of a human, but so was I.” “Braden knew what direction he wanted to go in, which was something I lacked and really liked and needed from him.” It wasn’t long before they were talking about engagement. Braden shopped around for rings and planned to get engaged on a trip to Cancún. Their engagement sort of just happened as Braden knew there was risk that the rings wouldn’t arrive on time, so one night while looking at pictures of them online, Jackson came home to Braden announcing: “Look! We have rings!” They got engaged in October of 2020, for a 2022 wedding. The two set out to find a venue that “had more of an urban feel, that was also Art Deco for our Great Gatsby theme. Five minutes into the tour, I knew that @ironworksdenver was it,” Braden added. “I took on 70% of the planning, because I really like it,” Braden said, but offered that a day-of coordinator is a must. Their ceremony included a hand-fastening ceremony in honor of Jackson’s late mother who was a Wiccan high priestess. “I wanted to do something not monotheistic.” For Braden, hearing Jackson’s vows express his sentiments in the moment, was striking. For Jackson, simply hearing Braden’s vows to always be there for him, was overwhelming. “We splurged on our catering but saved on flowers by using a florist who works with silk flowers. They looked amazing and were better for the environment. We did not have a time-schedule following dinner which allowed people to just have fun. People said it was the most laid-back reception they’d been to. It was a really great party.” While neither could exactly point to how being married was different, Braden and Jackson both felt that something was. One might say that feeling is what forever feels like. Pro-tips: - Use reusable flowers - Keep your reception schedule loose - Include unexpected traditions in your ceremony