Michelle grew up in Greenwood, Indiana where she lived until she finished fifth grade. At that point, her father's job took her family overseas to Japan where they lived three years in Tokyo. After she completed middle school there she moved back to Indiana with her family and graduated from Center Grove High School where she was on the varsity golf team. After graduation her parents moved back to Japan and Michelle went on to study Industrial Engineering at Purdue University and was also a member of Sigma Kappa sorority.
After graduation she joined ABB as a rotational trainee and moved to both Columbia, MO and Pittsburgh, PA before ABB finally took her to Raleigh, NC as a new product introduction manager where she met Jared at Rudino's Rooftop where Jared was having a graduation party. After knowing eachother for a few years, Michelle and Jared finally went on their first date.
A few months later Michelle received a promotion to become a key account manager requiring her to move back to Indiana. Knowing they had a great thing going Jared moved with Michelle after just 5 months of dating. Little did she know that the man that moved across the country with her after only months of dating would become her husband a few years later!
Bride Fun Fact: Michelle was on the Science Olympiad team all four years in high school - even winning an event at State her senior year!
Jared was born in Raleigh, North Carolina where he lived with his mother, father, and sister, Kelsey. He attended elementary, middle, and high schools there ultimately graduating from Wakefield High School. Later, he left Raleigh for Greenville, NC where he studied criminal justice at East Carolina University. Upon graduation he joined the North Carolina Army National Guard as a combat engineer. That same year, he met Michelle at a graduation party thrown by his family where Kelsey had brought Michelle along to keep her company.
A few years later he and Michelle crossed paths once more but this time it stuck! They began dating and he ultimately moved to Indiana when Michelle's job transferred her just five months into their courtship. After a year of dating Jared asked Michelle's parents for permission to marry her...and then they had to keep it secret for another 10 months! He finally asked the weekend of the Indianapolis 500 - an event that Michelle's family has attended regularly since Michelle was a baby and the same weekend that Jared's dad and sister were visiting.
Jared is now a recruiter for the Indiana Army National Guard and enjoys Costco pizza, karaoke, and watching The Office in his free time.
Proposal Fun Fact: Jared meant to propose to Michelle on Carb Day (Friday) of race weekend but he was so nervous he accidentally brought a box of tie clips to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway instead of the ring!
Groom Fun Fact: Jared ran the Indy Mini, his first half marathon, without training. He finished in just over two and a half hours!
MOH Fun Fact: Mae and her husband will be celebrating their 5th wedding anniversary on the the same day that Michelle and Jared are getting married!
Kelsey and Michelle met in 2014 when Michelle cornered her in an elevator at the ABB office where they both worked and asked/forced her to lunch. A few years and many beer festivals later, she took Michelle to a party for her older brother, Jared, and unintentionally introduced them. When she isn't brewing beer, Kelsey is a digital marketing manager for ABB in Cleveland, Ohio where she lives with her husband, Keith.
Fun Fact: Kelsey has made over two dozen home brews with her father - one of them even won an award at the state fair!
Stephanie is Michelle's younger sister. She is a computer scientist for Fidelity Investments and lives in Cary, North Carolina with her very fat cat, Muffin.
Fun Fact: Stephanie is a random fact machine!
Abby and Michelle met in 2014 at a bar in Raleigh through a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend* and the rest was truly history! Abby is a Business Development Manager for the Barnes Jewish Hospital Independence Center and lives in St. Louis, Missouri with her puppy, Marv.
*Michelle's coworker's church-friend's friend-he-met-when-he-studied-abroad's roommate/coworker
Josh and Jared met in 2010 when they were both living the single party life in Greenville, North Carolina. Josh is now a contractor for a health care construction group and lives in Greenville, North Carolina with his fiancé, Mary, and their dog, Kinley.
Richard and Susan are Michelle's parents. Richard is currently the President of Application Engineering for Allison Transmission and Susan is a retired mechanical engineer from General Motors. They live together with their cat, Mochi, in Greenwood, Indiana.
