Jenn and Jason Miltenberger
First Date: Paper Moon Diner, Aug. 31, 2012
Wedding Date: July 28, 2013
Venue: Anchor Inn, Pasadena, Md.
Current Residence: Severn, Md.
Favorite Activity: Orioles games
Before Jenn Erwin and Jason Miltenberger recited their vows, Cantor Ann Sachs shared a few poignant comments from their pre-wedding meetings.
Jason had told the cantor that Jenn was his “heart,” and Jenn had noted that Jason was her best friend and they were “so much in love.”
As the words echoed through the sound system at the Anchor Inn in Pasadena on July 28, 2013, Jenn, Jason, their mothers Sandra Bayer Gendleman and Dianne Miltenberger and many of their 65 friends and family members in attendance held back tears.
“We were emotional and happy at the same time,” said Jenn, 27, a Leesburg, Va., native. “It was a very beautiful moment.”
Everything about the day was beautiful. They were married in a traditional Jewish ceremony held outdoors with a beautiful Chesapeake Bay backdrop. The temperature was in the low 80s, and the sun peaked periodically through the clouds to brighten the day.
The reception featured a few “funny” moments, including their introduction. The newlywed couple entered the hall rapping to “Sabotage” by the Beastie Boys, and they were followed by their bridal party, which came out to another Beastie Boys song. They then delighted their guests with their first dance to “About You” by The Jesus and Mary Chain.
They also found it funny that their wedding cake was missing the bottom layer. Other than during the cake-cutting ceremony, they did not get a piece of the wedding cake. The caterer sent them another cake two weeks later with an iced inscription of “Happy Anniversary.”
“It didn’t matter,” said Jenn. “It was just funny.”
The pair met via the online dating site OkCupid, and after just a week of computer chatting and phone conversations, they met for lunch at the Paper Moon Diner in Baltimore. Afterward, they went to Jason’s to watch the first season of “Walking Dead.”
“He was easy to talk to, a lot of fun,” said Jenn, a pre-kindergarten teacher at Brookfield Christian School and a Sunday School teacher at Temple Beth Shalom in Arnold. “And I knew he was serious about dating when he talked about me meeting his friends.”
As they said goodbye, Jason asked for a goodnight kiss. Jenn obliged. Jason called later that evening just to be sure she got home safely.
Two days later, they were out together again. From that point on, they were inseparable. They share an interest in art and music and regularly attend rock concerts together.
Jason proposed in late May after convincing Jenn to come to his house and leave her mom to dog-sit. As he reached for a DVD on the coffee table, he got down on his knee, presented a ring and asked her to marry him.
“It just works,” said the 31-year-old Cumberland, Md., native and librarian with the Anne Arundel County Public Library System. “She’s my heart. I love her. I don’t know what I’d do without her.”
Linda L. Esterson is an Owings Mills-based freelance writer. For “Beshert,” call 410-902-2305 or email Linda.Esterson@verizon.net.