Honey, Do You Like the Ring?
"I told him I wanted him to propose to me as a surprise, but he couldn't wait," Janessa recalls. "He showed me right away."
Unable to contain himself, Derek called Janessa's parents to ask their permission. Then he asked Janessa to call his mother and ask permission. Both Derek's mother and Janessa were confused by the untraditional move, but they played along anyway.
The Facts. Janessa, an English concentrator, is affiliated with Leverett House and is originally from Boise, Idaho. Derek graduated from MIT in 1998 with a degree in chemical engineering. He is from Salt Lake City and currently works for a local Internet startup.
The wedding took place last August in Boise, and the couple spent their honeymoon in and near Jackson Hole, Wyo., hiking through the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Park.
All That Jazz. For their first date, the couple went to the Regatta Bar. A jazz aficionado, Janessa was happy to learn that Derek played the saxophone, and suggested the outing. But each one claims that the other actually asked first.
Love Letters. Janessa and Derek belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. They met after Derek returned from his mission but before Janessa left for hers. She spent two years in northern Italy and was permitted to write Derek only once a week.
"Being apart was the most difficult part of the relationship, but we got to fall in love all over again when I came back," she says.
Plans. The pair will stay in Boston while Derek continues at the start-up. Janessa has applied to graduate schools, but says her career may go on hold because the couple hopes to begin a family posthaste.