How You Can Help Rob And Jenn Improve Their Lives In Two Minutes

Not to sound cocky, but I get asked for help quite a bit. I guess  it comes with having a background in marketing and promotion, but I have become the de facto go-to person for anything that needs promotion, a push or a big idea behind it.

Some might find it burdensome, but I love it as it keeps my brain fresh and more importantly, helps other people improve their lives or businesses. That’s a small price to pay for having great friends and I’m happy to pay it.

That brings us to today and the story of Rob and Jenn and why you should help them win the wedding of their dreams.

(Also, they didn’t ask me to write this. Surprise!)

The Origin Story

Photo by AmyTruePhotography.com

Our tale starts in a dingy fraternity basement at the University of Maine in 1996. As most young 18-year-olds in college are prone to do, dancing women and beer are great ways to spend a Friday night (or a Tuesday for that matter). I was over at a fraternity party with some of my soon-to-be fraternity brothers and there was a young blond girl there that caught my eye. She belonged to Pi Beta Phi, a sorority I got to know and like quite a lot.

That ‘she’ was Jenn, the same person you see here in these pictures. Cue intrigue music!

I attempted to get this young lady’s attention by dancing around her general area and shockingly, that didn’t really work so well. (Imagine that!) One of my friends knew her and after the party, we were heading to an abandoned fraternity house to hang out. Perfect! It would be my chance to impress her!

Sadly, that went nowhere and I ended up getting a criminal trespassing ticket that night for being there. Quite an expensive night for chasing a blond, but there would be many of those in subsequent years.

Shortly thereafter, Rob (who I barely knew) and that same blond Jenn met and 13 years later, they’re engaged. Things are meant to be as they’re meant to be.

Wait, did you say 13 years?

The Red Sox went 86 years between World Series victories. It took nearly 30 years for the Berlin Wall to come down. Suddenly, 13 years for a couple to become engaged seems quite small, doesn’t it?

You’d really have to ask Rob why it did take so long, but it wasn’t for a lack of love or caring. It just wasn’t the right time and with anything that has to be done right, it should take time. And as we expected, on a random weekday leading up to Thanksgiving, Rob asked the question that someone of us — including Jenn — wondered would ever come, done in a private moment in their new house as they were set to go to a concert.

What’s funny is they basically have been playing the role of a married couple for years. They have lived together since college. They are now on their second house. There is talk of kids. They have two dogs (now THAT is a story). And they have a large family of friends and family that have loved and supported them the entire, crazy, question filled way.

And yes, there’s been adversity. There were several break-ups during their years together when both needed to assess whether their relationship was still worth the time and whether they wanted to keep going toward what seemed like an inevitable conclusion. But love and fate is funny like that. Much like Jenn didn’t give me the time of day back in ’96, Rob and Jenn’s breakups resulted in them getting back together and with good reason: they were in love and there are potholes along that road.

So why should you view their video and vote?

What, the story above wasn’t any good?

Admittedly, Rob and Jenn’s video isn’t chock-full of production values as compared to some of the others. He’s a copier salesman ace for Ikon and she’s a Development Director for the Cancer Community Center in Portland, ME, and don’t have the resources, time or know-how that some of their competition does.

They also aren’t military and a lot of the videos start with ‘My husband is deployed in (name the Arabic country)’.  That’s a tough emotional obstacle to overcome, but let’s try anyway. These are deserving people too.

It’s the little pebbles between the giant rocks that really bring this home for me. They have had their share of adversity in their family. Rob’s dad and mom have been through hell with cancer and she has another medical issue that Jenn discusses in the clip. Her own mother survived breast cancer and her dad is the guy who gets up at a crazy hour to help shovel and plow at their local church.  All in all, they are great people and deserve to see this story conclude in storybook fashion.

The rest of the famn damily? It’s seriously like Modern Family without anyone gay (but you never know). Crazy, nutty, wacky but drawn together by their love for each other, like it should be. Throw the rest of us into the mix and it’s on like neckbone when there’s a party…except when I dance and everyone goes into the other room.

I’m sold on Rob and Jenn. How do I vote?

It’s ridiculously easy.

1. Go here.
2. Watch the video. It’s two minutes, so you got time.
3. Vote by clicking the stars below the video. Vote once a day if you’re compelled, but once is appreciated as well.

That’s it!

I’ve known these two forever. I’ve lived with them, stayed with them, drank with them and have seen them argue and make up more times than Billy Martin and George Steinbrenner did with the Yankees.

But I’m putting my full endorsement behind their effort to win a $100,000 dream wedding in Maine. If there’s any two that deserve it, it’s Rob and Jenn. They didn’t ask me to write this, but it’s the right thing to do….much like Rob and Jenn having a great wedding thanks to your help.