Exactly a year ago, Jacob proposed to Kelsey in the grandest way possible, with a medical helicopter landing on the roof of the hospital.
Emergency room nurses Jacob Young and Kelsey Dunlap got married in a beautiful ceremony with about 100 close friends and relatives on October 15. The couple went viral in 2021 for their heart-warming story and Jacob's brilliant proposal.
Exactly a year ago, a medical helicopter dropped down on the roof of the Wellstar Kennestone Hospital in Marietta, where both the ER nurses work and fell in love with each other. However, it was not a medical emergency. Jacob surprised his partner by leaping from the aircraft with a ring in his hand. The incredible event became viral, with over 2.7 million views on TikTok alone.
The day began with an outdoor ceremony led by the groom's brother, Christian Young, exactly a year after this wonderful proposal. The 25-year-old Kelsey wore a lace, beaded gown with a full train and cathedral veil. Jacob, 29, and Kelsey exchanged vows while holding hands beneath the canopy of a 200-year-old pecan tree, per PEOPLE. "It felt like a lifetime coming," says Kelsey, adding, "Saying 'I do' was the easiest two words to come out of our mouths."
"I love all of you — every single part of what makes you Jacob Edward Young. I am profoundly, deeply, and overwhelmingly in love with you," the blushing bride said, tearing up. "Today is the day that I prayed for years to come," Jacob said. "You are my everything."
Jacob, who grew up in Calhoun, Georgia, always wanted to be a doctor but settled on emergency room nursing until graduating from Kennesaw State in 2017. After Kelsey graduated in December 2019 and began working in the emergency room, the couple bonded as the COVID-19 epidemic struck in early 2020. "He was just my work crush on a whole new level," says Kelsey. "Even when I was technically in a relationship when we first met, he was always the guy at work that I blushed under my mask about."
Kelsey's previous relationship ended about a year after Jacob and she met, which Jacob learned from a work colleague. "He faked like he didn't know I was single and was like, 'How is it going?'" Kelsey recalls. "I'm like, 'Oh, actually, we broke up.' He said, 'Well, you want to get coffee?' He already knew." Their first date occurred during a 15-minute work break in September 2020, and it resulted in a second date outside the hospital a few days later. Jacob describes their second date which lasted for 2 days. "We stayed up 'till 5 a.m. in bed, just talking about what kind of futures we dreamed for ourselves, and the future families we wanted," he said while reading the letter. "Never been a fan of clichés, but I swear every star aligned," he continued. "The next morning I drove home, and I had the most personal talk with God I've ever had in my life. I promised God that if he gave me you, I would never ask for anything else again."
Jacob moved into Kelsey's Marietta townhome seven months after their first date. The pair got an adorable labrador, Millie, who they both love immensely. The pair's relationship became stronger as they dealt with the devastation caused by COVID. "That's the most special part about us," Kelsey shared, "With really critical patients, I'm extra grateful to have him there just because it's so taxing. We can find each other if we need each other. It makes the world of difference."
Jacob can't believe his good fortune. "I am overjoyed to scream to the world that you are the love of my life," Jacob read aloud to Kelsey before their wedding. "I am so proud that for the rest of my life I get to call you my love, mother of our children, my wife, and most of all, my best friend." Kelsey shares that Jacob makes her "feel like a romance novel" and that she never "pictured being so obnoxiously happy and in a relationship." She adds, "It's something that you don't think exists until you have it. And it just makes you feel so lucky and blessed."
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Cover Image Source: Instagram | (L) @jacobeyoung31_ (R) ; @kelseydunlap15
