Groom: Ryan Gregory Mundy, 27, NFL Player
Married On: April 28, 2012
Wedding Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Wedding Style: Classic Elegance
Perfect Timing
It was a Friday night in Atlanta in the summer of 2009, and Jillian was celebrating a friend’s birthday at a local nightclub. As she took a break from the dance floor to head over to the bar for a drink, Ryan suddenly appeared and asked her name. “Instantly I was attracted to his warm personality and adorable dimples,” she admits. Ryan, who was there with his football teammates, was equally smitten and their encounter was no accident on his part. “I saw her on the dance floor and timed it so that we would cross paths when she was walking off,” he tells us. “When my chance arrived, I took it.” Over the next couple of days, they attempted to meet up for an official date before Ryan left town to return to Pittsburgh where he lived. Despite their best efforts it didn’t work out, but there was just too much electricity between them not to keep in touch. “Soon text messages led to phone conversations, which then turned into regular Pittsburgh to Atlanta visits, and before we knew it we were in a loving long-distance relationship,” says Jillian.
A Night to Remember
Long distance love can be tough, so Jillian always looked forward to Ryan’s trips down to Atlanta to visit her. During one October visit, he spent a lot of time out alone and she was a bit disappointed. Little did she know, Ryan had an amazing proposal in the works.
That night, Jillian thought she and Ryan were meeting a few friends for drinks and live music at Atlanta’s Twelve Hotel. They arrived and it seemed all of her closest friends were able to make it – which never happens. She was surprised, but not yet suspicious. Midway through the evening, Ryan disappeared. A waiter approached her, handed her a room key and told her she was wanted upstairs. While Jillian made her way upstairs, Ryan decorated the suite. He filled the room with candles and his favorite photos of them. There were rose petals on the bed that spelled out “I love you,” and a cake that read Mr. and Mrs. Mundy.
There was a note at the door, a rose and a blindfold. The note instructed Jillian to put on the blindfold and knock. Ryan opened the door, took her hand and led her inside. “He told me to remove the blindfold and there he was on one knee,” says Jillian. “Overwhelmed, I immediately started crying. I was so surprised and in awe of the beautiful room he had decorated, all I heard was, ‘Will you marry me?’ Without hesitation I said yes.” After hugging and crying together, the newly engaged pair returned to the lobby and celebrated with Jillian’s friends. Share their love!
Photos: Jenni Grace Photography