—We met at a birthday party in Arlington in April 2018. It was just blocks away from an art opening Erin was attending, where she was spontaneously invited by a friend. Arriving at the party, she saw Jens sitting on a couch, and thought “Oh, wow. He’s good-looking.” She asked her friend, "Who's that dude on the couch?," but her friend didn't know. Erin also didn't know that Jens was asking about her!

Eight months later, this time at a large holiday party on December 8, Erin noticed a man walking through the crowd, a head taller than everyone else, and thought “Oh, wow. He’s good-looking.” She then realized he was also looking at her, and coming her way! He said, "Do you remember me from the party?" At first, she had no idea what he was talking about, but within seconds she knew - it was the dude from the couch!

Jens asked her out for the following weekend, just days before he was returning to Germany for the holidays. When he returned in January after a lot of texting, they went out again, and again, and again, although it was Jens’s last year in the US. By the next holiday, they visited Erin's family and friends in Louisville and decided they would continue to be together, even though Jens would soon be leaving. On March 3, 2020 she took him to the airport to go back to Germany. It was sad for both, but they were reassured that in just two months Erin would come to join him for the summer.

Of course, that didn't happen. It was a time of anxiety, especially for Erin who was afraid they would never see each other again. Finally, the travel ban in the EU was lifted in August and, after a lot of paperwork, she was able to join him in September and stay 3 months. The ban did not lift in the States until over a year later, but Erin continued to visit Jens in Cologne through summers and the holidays, and they continue to split their time as a happy transnational couple!

Jens proposed in December of 2021 and, without really having a date or a place in mind, they sealed the deal by placing a lock on the Locks of Love Bridge in Cologne. The following summer they settled on Grand Hotel Schloss Bensberg for its history, gorgeous spaces, and beautiful view of Cologne. They were wed there a year later, on June 17 2023, and they are thrilled to celebrate it with you stateside!