Wedding Magazine: Betsy and Max

max & betsy

Jorgensen sealed for time and all eternity on June 1, 2013

inside: who are they? p.1 how they met p.2 the proposal p.5

Max John Jorgensen Responds to: Max, Max-a-mil DOB: July 28 Born: Landstuhl, Germany Raised: North Logan, Utah Family: four older sisters, one older brother School: Ogden-Weber applied Technology College Program: Composites manufacturing Loves: betsy, motorcycles, music, movies, reading, building, comic books, video games Hates: spiders, rickety ladders Collects: flags, movies Bad habit: biting nails, popping knuckles AGE AT First kiss: 15 Celebrity crushes: Emma Stone, Jennifer Lawrence When it snows: cuddle up with my girl Dream car: '‘ 58 Corvette, '01 Harley Davidson Dyna Fatbob Sport Favorite Color: red, blue Favorite Movie: Iron Man, Lawless, Oblivion Favorite Band: Cake, Three Houses Down, Metallica Favorite Sport: rugby

Elizabeth Kay Blanchard Responds to: Betsy, Bets, Schmetzers DOB: October 19 Born: Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri Raised: St. Peters, Missouri Family: one older brother, one younger sister School: Utah State University Program: Public relations, graphic design, multimedia Loves: Max, art, soccer, running, writing, shoes, anything Nike, Shia LaBeouf, shopping, bright colors Hates: ladybugs, ferris wheels, Energizer Bunny Collects: spoons, junk Bad habit: biting nails, popping knuckles AGE AT First kiss: 20 Celebrity crushes: Shia LaBeouf, Viggo Mortensen when it snows: eat snow, watch movies with Max Dream car: Volkswagen Beetle convertible Favorite Color: red Favorite Movie: Pride and Prejudice, Lord of the Rings (all) Favorite Band: Snow Patrol, Five for Fighting, Lifehouse Favorite Sport: soccer

how they met O

not all are pictured

n October 12, 2011, Max and Betsy met on a blind date... that she set up. At the time, she lived in a retired sorority house of 22 girls. She organized a blind date for the 15 girls who were interested in being set up. After a bit of investigating, she was able to find 13 fellas. Her roommate Jess found the remaining two, one of which happened to be a hunky Australian-accent wielding biker boy named Max john Jorgensen.

according to her

All the boys had arrived at our house for the date... except one. Because I set up everyone else’s dates, I knew it was mine that was missing (at this point, we hadn’t revealed who everyone’s dates were). Of course, I thought. Me, the girl who spent two weeks organizing the date, was getting no-showed. John, Max’s cousin, was one of the two boys I didn’t personally pick out and stepped out to call his cousin to see where he was. Turns out, as I learned later, that he was on his way to Ogden or someplace to meet up with a different girl. He’d forgotten about the date (during the date, he told me he was on his way to his sister’s house...psh!).

according to him

I had forgotten I was even invited to the party. The invite was awkwardly extended to me the previous week as I stood next to my cousin John (the one actually being invited). My plans to meet up with an old high school friend would have to be postponed. Good thing I was already dressed nice and smelled good so that I wouldn’t be later than I already was.

Besides, it was a party right? Everyone cool is fashionably late to a party, what’s 20 minutes?

Upon entering the house I was given a slip of paper with a yellow car and stick figure playing soccer on it. My date was the one who drew the picture, only problem was there were

Stories continue on the next page

according to her

according to him

After he showed up (20 minutes late), it was time to about 15 girls in there each having drawn a picture describreveal who everyone’s dates were. I had asked every girl to ing themselves. My quest was to walk around to each girl draw a crayon self-portrait and stick it in an envelope. We until I discovered whose slip of paper I was holding. I talked gave every boy the envelope and told them that inside of it to two girls before I awkwardly asked ‘is this you?’ to this was a picture of their date and that they’d have to find them blue eyed beauty. She shyly replied in the affirmative and I after opening it. It took some people more time than others, sat next to her. And there I was. My first date in 2 years! but, after just a minute or so, Max found me. I’d drawn a Throughout the course of the date we got to know each picture of myself with my very-identifiable yellow other. We discovered we lightning bolt car, Burt. some of the exact I would find out later that even though had We introduced ourselves, talked about my car same little ticks or, a and made small talk. It was then time to move onto we have a lot in common, our person- small case of OCD in the grand event: the pumpkin decorating contest. areas of life. Little alities were almost polar opposites. some Max had the idea to do some sort of tribal quirks like taking as decoration, so we ended up doing a half-regular, many steps with your left half-tribal pumpkin. Again, the small talk confoot as your right, rantinued. We found out that we had a lot of random things domly counting steps, just little things. The more we chatted in common (i.e. both played the baritone in high school; (what little we did due to my awkwardness as a recently both had a weird thing returned missionary) the more similarities were about stepping on Max didn’t get my number, didn’t hug exposed. I thought she was nice, but I had learned on cracks), but he was still the mission that if two people were the exact same me, and sort of just... left. pretty quiet. I probably that one would be unnecessary. Well I would find out was too. We won the later that even though we have a lot in common, our It was awkward. contest, but I think personalities were almost polar opposites. it was a pity win for As I was saying, she seemed nice enough but I just being the date organizer with a late date. couldn’t get past all our similarities. After the evening we We moved onto cookie decorating followed by general walked out of the house where I awkwardly watched my socializing in the basement while some of the guys played cousin John ask his date for a number, they shared a litguitar and sang songs to the group. It was fun, but Max tle hug and I just said a quick “good night I had fun” and hardly talked to me. walked to my car. No number in my pocket, no butterflies I walked him out of the house with my roommate Karissa in my tummy from a quick hug from a cute girl. Just sarcaswho was also walking out her date (John). John got her tic thoughts of “man good first date! You really made quite number and they hugged. Max didn’t get my number, didn’t the first impression you dummy!” I tried to rationalize the hug me, and sort of just.... left. It was awkward. After all the next week every time someone asked me how the date went giggly girls got together to debrief on the night’s events, I with an “oh, we had just a little too much in common. She decided it was OK, but I was definitely not interested. He was nice but I was a little turned off with how much we had was too boring. in common.”

A week or so later, I found a note on my car. It was from Saturday came and I was sitting in the parking lot of Max. He left me his phone number, apologized for not askLowes with the events of the week gushing through my ing for mine and said that I should text him if I wanted to head. I hadn’t moved from my parking spot for a good 10 get together sometime. Even though I was running late for minutes trying to talk myself out of going back up to her work, I grabbed the note, ran inside and loudly announced house and giving her my number. I had decided in Austhe discovery of the note to all roommates within earshot. tralia to live my life with less irrational fear and by the I read it out loud, making fun of both the boy and his note. motto “you’ll never know if you don’t give it a try.” A strong However, truth be told, I was flattered. impression came on my mind that I had to go give her my I was actually tempted to text him, but warned by some number. I had a goal to go up to the rugby fields and talk to roommates that there was no point. I wasn’t interested. the coach about playing that season, so that became my exWhy lead him on? Why get myself into a situation I would cuse. I figured if I was already up there, I would be a coward inevitably want to get out of? I listened to them and decided if I didn’t walk across the street and give her my number. I against texting him. I stashed the note in a box of momencompromised with my irrational fear and just wrote a little tos and tried to forget about it. note and left it on her cheesy little yellow Aveo. After all, Later, Karissa started hanging out with John. A couple there WAS a football game going on. She had to be down of weeks after the date (and about one week after the note), there.

according to her

she came back and told me how cool Max was and how I should have texted him. I was so frustrated with myself for assuming his awkward post-missionary personality was permanent.

So, we devised a plan. If ever asked about the note, we would simply deny having ever received it. We would act oblivious. What note? We even practiced the denial. A day or so after devising the plan, John invited Karissa to bring some a couple of roommates to go hot tubbing with him and a couple of his friends. We assumed Max would be one of the two, so Karissa asked if I wanted to go. We knew it would be awkward, but I came along anyway. I wanted to give it a second go. By this point, Max seemed so perfectly mysterious. I HAD to find out if anything could come of it!

Sure enough, the night was awkward. When we got to the house, Max didn’t say anything to me. In fact, he didn’t say anything to me until we were in the hot tub. Even then it wasn’t so much to me as it was to the whole group. After we got out, I went over to him, said hey and asked how he was. He didn’t seem very excited to be talking to me, so the conversation didn’t last long. After a bit of reasoning, I couldn’t totally blame him; after all, he was currently under the impression that I’d received and ignored his note. (Okay, sure, that WAS the truth, but he wasn’t supposed to know that.)

Karissa hung out with the guys the next day, where, sure enough, they asked her about the note. She denied knowing what they were talking about. I’m not sure if they totally believed her, but it was enough to give Max the green light.

Side note: I told Max about the note... eventually.

according to him

And then…I waited.

It had been several weeks. John had started hanging out with Betsy’s roommate Karissa more and more. That was awkward enough for me. I hadn’t heard anything from Betsy since I left that note on her car. I just assumed she had received the note and didn’t want anything to do with the awkward recent RM who took control over the pumpkin carving blind date. I needed to verify my suspicions. And honestly I would have been completely okay with a “yes she got the note and no she doesn’t want anything to do with you” reply from Karissa.

Karissa’s response gave me a glimmer of hope. “What note? Huh, she didn’t get any note!”

Later I would learn that I had been duped, and she had the note the entire time. But for now…

Hope!

! s e y how he proposed

By · Max & Betsy Jorgensen

Two minutes. My thumb hovered over the “Call” button on my phone. “You can do this. No pressure. You’re just gonna call him up, talk about the letter, then just ask him. No big deal!”

Four minutes. My thumb hadn’t moved an inch and my nerves hadn’t relaxed at all. “Why can’t you just PRESS THE BUTTON?” Seven minutes. The weight of my thumb wasn’t doing the trick; it seemed as though gravity were working against me. A short seven minutes seemed like an hour as I stared at my phone, number logged in, just not calling anyone. “I don’t NEED to ask him, right? He basically already said ‘yes’, didn’t he?”

I hadn’t really had a good opportunity to visit with Mr. Blanchard. For all I knew I was still just some guy that Betsy had liked for a while. At length I had decided to write a little letter to introduce myself to him, tell him what my life ambitions are, what my plan is, and to let him know what my intentions were with his daughter.

The letter had been sent, unbeknownst to Betsy, and I was waiting a reply for about a week. I began to think maybe the guy hated my guts. Maybe I had stepped way out of my boundaries! What was this guy thinking? My brain filled with every

012.

Max

. 15, 2 cial’ on Jan ffi ‘o e m a c e & Betsy b later.

13 months y tl c a ex d He propose

negative thought imaginable about her father’s reaction to my letter. Thank goodness my mom accidentally let the cat out of the bag or else I may have waited longer.

When Betsy heard what I had done, she let me know that sometimes the mail likes to sit dormant in a pile someplace at her house. There went my surprise!

The reply I received was way more than I expected. The gist of the letter was ‘I appreciate your openness and sincerity.

Betsy’s happiness is my priority, and I will not interfere.’

So was that a ‘yes you may marry my daughter’?

It had to be, right? There are some things in this world that you may assume outcomes for, but this was probably not one of them. I had to call him. Or did I? Of course I did…right?

After what felt like hours my shoulder angel said ‘AH just do it ya baby!’ and he jumped on my thumb, which resulted in a series of rings coming through the speaker.

“Oh no! hang up! Just hang up! He’s probably driving and the last thing he’d want would be…”

“Hello!” The voice was cheery…

“Mr. Blanchard, I didn’t want to assume your letter was giving me permission, so I’m asking your permission to marry your daughter and I’d like to ask her...tomorrow.”

--Max and I had plans to drive down to St. George to spend our three-day weekend with his brother Tom's family (this being the day after Valentine's Day).

After driving for nearly 6 hours, we arrived just in time for dinner. The plan was to pick up a pizza and have a pseudo-picnic at a park. Decked out in my road

trip clothes (a nicer way of saying I looked fairly homeless), I debated whether or not I should put on something nicer. Max, who was also decked out in road trip clothes, left momentarily and returned wearing jeans and a nice shirt. Since when does Max dress up to eat pizza? (Since when does Max dress up.. period? I had to beg him to let me buy him that shirt.)

Though my pride requested I do not share this, I'll admit that despite the unusual circumstances, I wasn't the least bit suspicious. I've tried convincing myself that it was because Sara (Mrs. Tom) was in a dress. Everyone seemed dressed up.

Feeling a little pressure, I went to change into something a couple degrees nicer. Then, feeling foolish for succumbing to said pressure, I put down my sweater, adjusted my oversized, stained t-shirt and walked back out.

Max: "You're not.. going to change?"

(I once warned Max that I better look dang good when he proposed. And that there better be video/photo evidence. He was just following my own orders.)

Succumbing to the pressure once more (I lack a backbone), I put on the sweater.

My hair was a mess of its own and another story entirely.

I started feeling a little carsick on the drive to the park, so I only ate one piece of pizza before losing my appetite. I told Max I wasn't feeling so hot, so he suggested we go for a walk to get some fresh air.

Max: "Happy one year and one month!

I have something I want to show you." He whipped out the scrapbook I made him last year for his birthday, a chronicle of our relationship from our first date to then. He said he wanted to look through it together in honor of our anniversary.

Still, not the least bit suspicious. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

When I turned to the last page, it was entirely different. He had changed the date to say "February 15, 2013" and inserted a picture of him holding the ring, as if the picture itself were asking me to marry him (/it). The picture showed only Max and the cloud behind him, giving the impression that he was in the sky. He also added a picture of a hot air balloon basket and stuck it underneath.

I once joked that if he expected me to say yes, he'd have to ask me in a hot air balloon.

Though Max insists I wasn't joking, I can assure you, this ferris wheel-fearing woman would never set foot inside a hot air balloon without some serious sedatives.

STILL confused, mostly that he was capable of surprising me, I looked up and saw my lover boy on one knee, asking me to marry him. YES! YES! YES! (And then I spent the night throwing up all of our celebratory fro yo and hiding from the camera. That being said, there is only ONE (1) "look at me with my fiance and ring!" photo. See above. I wasn’t lying about the hair.)

WItness statement: Max and Betsy are coming this weekend. We are beyond thrilled. We knew that tonight was a special night, the night Max would propose and ask Betsy to be his wife. We were making serious preparations, I meticulously erased every picture on my phone to make sure I could capture the moment. Max asked Thomas and I ahead of time to find a park with a playground and a pathway and a bench (or some other perfect spot) for the magical moment to take place. Our jobs are 1- get them to the park 2- secretly follow them as they went on a walk 3- video tape the whole thing. I was (needless to say) feeling the pressure.

We arrived at the park (secret still intact), ate dinner and I nonchalantly asked Betsy to go get some water with me. She didn’t know that it was a carefully designed ploy to give Tom a moment to ask Max if there were anymore details we should know. He told us that he was going to make his move in a few minutes, gave us the basic play by play and just in time he said just be sure to get it on video and make sure she didn’t see me... (no pressure right???)

Max and Betsy started on a walk up a gorgeous pathway with a lookout of Zion national park

(as if they even saw it...) I watched them until they turned the corner, I was emotional the whole time.

They were so adorable, holding hands and leaning on each other, I could just imagine them doing the same thing in 5 years, 10 years, 30 years. Once they turned the corner, I hurried my buns through some gorgeous “desert landscaping”, then I realized my shoes were all wrong and making TONS of noise. So I flipped them off and continued through the rocks barefoot. I hid behind a tree while I watched them look through a scrapbook Betsy made of their love story. Max turned the last page (this was my cue), Max popped up on to his knee and I popped out from behind the tree, video camera ready. He said some lovely words and looked at his future wife, Betsy and said “Will you marry me?”. She said yes! It was official! Max and Betsy would forever be together and I felt so honored to be a part of it.

They walked back beaming, we knew their life had changed in that minute.

Sara Jorgensen

Betsy (Elizabeth Kay) was nam ed after both of her grandmoth ers.

Max (Max John) was named after both of his grandfathers .

A LOOK BACK 1992

1990

1998

1994

1994

1997

2001

2000

1987

2003

2004

1971

David and Leslie Blanchard

Jeff and Bonnie Jorgensen

in time 2005

2007

Because B etsy was to o shy to a PDA, Ma llow any fo x learned from his rm of smacking friend Ty her bum ler that would gra ciously ov dually an ercome th d sub at than Bets y is willin shyness. It worked cong to admit better .

2010

They date d long-dis Betsy wor tance for four mon ked an in ternship in ths last fall while Washingto n, D.C.

2013

2005

Q&A with the bride

2008

2011

Best prank you ever pulled?

Not exactly the best, but I once stole the skirt off a creepy mannakin leg mailbox. I also spied on Steph’s first kiss (creepy, I know).

Best prank you ever pulled?

I better not say. The people involved might be at the reception.

Most embarrassing moment?

I’ve had a million, but probably when I landed on the kiss cam with my friend Ben, refused to kiss him and got booed by everyone at the Spectrum.

Most embarrassing moment?

I never really had a ton of embarrassing moments, but once on my mission I was fed so much that I barely made it outside the house before I puked all over peoples’ shoes and all over my shirt and tie.

Coolest thing you’ve ever done?

I’d probably have to say it was the day I got to be on the White House grounds with a pack of reporters when I interned in D.C. last fall.

Coolest thing you’ve ever done?

Pet kangaroos and koala bears in Australia. Played with a baby elephant in Thailand. Went to an all-day long reggae concert in New Zealand.

Favorite year of school, and why?

My freshman year of high school. That was my favorite (and best) year for both cross country and soccer.

Favorite year of school, and why?

My senior year of high school because we traveled a lot for band. Also, Iron Man came out. Oh, and I graduated.

Q&A

with the GROOM

Ladies Stephanie Blanchard, 20 Stephanie is Betsy’s little sister.

They are only 17 months apart and only one year apart in school. They’ve been known to fight overthe silliest things and make up within minutes (once Stephanie realizes that Betsy is right). Betsy loves to tease her red-headed counterpart and even made sure to be there for her little sister’s first kiss (surprise!).

They spent years playing both club and high school soccer together. Stephanie is a genius, super athlete and Betsy’s bestestestestest friend in the whole wide world.

maid of honor

Stephanie

Ashley Blanchard, 23 Ashley is Betsy’s newest sister. She married Betsy’s brother Alex last summer. Alex couldn’t have picked a more perfect addition to the Blanchard family.

Gabby Moore, 21 Gabby and Betsy met their freshman year of high school and became instant friends. Though she now goes to BYU (gasp!), they’ve remained close over the past few years.

Ashley

Gabby

Caitlin

Karissa

Caitlin Moulton, 20 Caitlin and Betsy met on Facebook before their freshman year at USU even started and have been friends since. Thank you, social media!

Karissa Milleson, 21 Karissa and Betsy lived next door to each other their freshman year and decided they liked each other enough to room together the next year.

They’ve spent many late evenings dancing in their pajamas together.

Lizzie Johnson, 21 Lizzie and Betsy have been best friends since the dark ages (please refer to picture #5 in Betsy’s timeline) and have performed their fair share of hooliganism together. They may or may not have gone streaking on USU’s football field during Lizzie’s most recent Utah visit.

Lizzie

wedding

party

Gents Thomas Jorgensen, 30 Thomas is Max’s older and only brother. Max has always looked up to Tom and enjoys spending time with him at his home in St. George. Tom has always been a great brother, setting a good example by going on a mission, marrying in the temple, and raising an awesome family. Tom and Max like to go shooting, fishing, flying RC airplanes, and like to bounce ideas off each other on what Max’s final project for school should be.

best man

Thomas Jesse Johnson, 25 Jesse and Max met in the marching band at Sky View High School. He is one of Max’s motorcycle riding buddies. He’s single and ready to mingle.

Jesse

John

John Hansen, 23 John is one of Max’s cousins. They lived together for the last year and a half and he rides occasionally with Max and Jesse.

Brandon Findlay, 22 Brandon is one of Max’s oldest and closest friends, knowing each other since they were 5 they’ve done many stupid things together. But nothing TOO crazy! He’s single and ready to mingle.

Brandon

Mitchell

Andrew

Andrew Turner, 20 (as of today) Be sure to wish Andrew a happy birthday! Andrew is one of Max’s newer friends who enjoys a good motorcycle ride with the guys. He’s single and ready to mingle.

Mitchell Bruce, 19 Mitchell is Max’s honorary groomsman and is currently serving an LDS mission in Cape Verde, Praia off the coast of Africa. Max and Mitchell have been best friends since Mitchell moved into his neighborhood. He’ll be single and ready to mingle in July 2014.

None of our bridemaids or groom smen were aware of our photo selections (until now.) We feel a little bad about it.

a big thank you

to everyone who contributed, participated or in any way helped us celebrate the best day of our lives (thus far). we couldn’t possibly give express our full gratitude. we’ve been blessed with so many wonderful, loving family members and friends. we hope you’ll stay tuned as our adventure continues and allow us to do the same for you. with love, Max and Betsy Jorgensen engagement photography by Kylee Maughan, kyleeann.com magazine design by Betsy Jorgensen