Groom to Be: Christopher Dean, 25, Derivatives Trader
To Be Married On: August 25, 2012
There Was Always Something There
When Cornell University student Jade Patterson, 25, met University of Pennsylvania student Christopher Dean, 25, at a Jackie Robinson Foundation networking event their freshman year, though any outsider could have seen that they were the perfect couple, it wasn’t quite time for sparks to fly. Instead a casual friendship bloomed, and as the years went by the two kept in touch here and there despite being in two different states and juggling heavy course loads. It wasn’t until their senior year at another JRF conference in 2008 that they noticed that special something between them they had overlooked before. “This was the first time we had the opportunity to really hang out one-on-one,” Jade tells us. “The jokes, teasing, and laughter very quickly became something real.” Real it was. They began dating that spring and endured the commute between Ithaca and Philly until graduation day came and they moved to New York City together.
When Old Memories Become New Ones
The famous Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York City is a very special place that holds a lot of sentimental value for college lovebirds Jade and Chris. They first met through the Jackie Robinson Foundation, and the organization holds its annual gala there. It’s also where they shared their first dance.
On October 14th 2011 they would make a new unforgettable memory there together. Chris surprised Jade in the lobby while she was running a business errand and popped the question on bended knee. The thrills didn’t end there. Chris told Jade she had the rest of the day off and to go home and pack a bag. The next thing she knew, he’d whisked her off to Rome and Italy to celebrate their big news.