On a sunny day in 2014, Lauren and Jason met because of two things: cornhole and a failed date.

Their friends, Emily and Sean, had recently gone on a date, which didn’t go very well, so they decided to stay friends. (Young people are hard to come by in the Florida Keys!) One weekend, Emily invited Sean and his roommate, Lauren, to a corn hole tournament hosted by Pigeon Key. That night, when Lauren met Jason—the guy with the green eyes and the rolled-up khakis—it was all over!

Fast forward six years and the Florida Keys became the backdrop to the next stage of Lauren and Jason’s journey together!

Anyone who knows Lauren, knows that her happy place is Pigeon Key. Jason’s home for his six years in the Florida Keys, Pigeon Key is a five acre island smack dab in the middle of paradise! After years of being away from their favorite place and their favorite people, Jason and Lauren planned a two week visit to the island and their best friend, Casey.

Of all the adventures and experiences on their “Return to Paradise” list, number one was dock bed! The name says it all! Just as you can imagine, Lauren and Jason’s favorite way to stargaze was from the comfort of a mattress out on the Pigeon Key dock. Nothing could be more perfect than falling asleep under the stars, listening to the waves and waking up to the sunrise!

Well, six years after their very first dock bed, Jason and Lauren dragged that same mattress out to the dock again. It was shaping up to be another beautiful night until the wind stopped and the mosquitos descended upon them! Tolerating the mosquitos for as long as they could, Lauren and Jason finally gave into the annoyance around 2 am. However, just before retreating back into the safety of the house, Jason rolled over, pulled an engagement ring from under the covers and asked Lauren to marry him! After five minutes of shock and disbelief, Lauren finally got it together enough to answer him with a “I love you” and a “YES!” And so, at 2 am on January 4th, 2021, surrounded by mosquitos, stars and paradise, Jason and Lauren finally got engaged! They spent the next few days calling their family and friends, celebrating their engagement and soaking up the Florida sun! There could not have been a more perfect way to start the next stage of their relationship than on a dock in the Florida Keys.