Andy Hall and Anneke Jeffries

In 2012, Andy Hall and Anneke Jeffries ushered in the New Year miles and cultures away from home. Vacationing in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, the two were thrust into the dynamic sounds, tastes and movements of the BPM Festival. For Andy, it was an entirely different world unfolding in front of his eyes. “I had never seen so many people in my entire life,” he says. “It was amazing.” Navigating the crowds of nearly 40,000 other electronic music-lovers, the two danced 2011 away, unknowing of the incredible changes that were in store for them in the New Year. Two days later, Andy proposed to a blissfully surprised Anneke during a romantic dinner on the beach. The two Missouri natives were engaged and, much like their New Year’s experience, were in for a whirlwind of exhilaration, transformation and tests that would reinforce their relationship in the coming months.

When Andy first met Anneke seven years prior, little did he know just how much she would open up his world. Timing was everything for the couple that had met through mutual friends in 2005. Both were in separate relationships, but neither could deny the instant chemistry between them. All that was missing in the equation was perfect timing. Over the next five years, the two would run into each other through their groups of friends at social gatherings. In January 2010, a friend’s birthday party would reunite the two yet again. The instant attraction was still there, and the only thing that had changed was that they were both living the bachelor life. For Anneke, the timing of their reunion was especially curious. “I really had come to a point in my life where I was happy with where I was going,” she says. “If I got married, it would be because I felt I couldn’t live without that person, and they truly made me happy. But with Andy, it felt right. It was easy. I didn’t question it.” With the timing finally in place, the two began dating around Valentine’s Day in 2010. On the evening of Dec. 8, the two were married at Sacred Heart Catholic Church and followed with a reception at Museao. The modern venue gleamed with soft, warm Christmas decor and floral arrangements from Kent’s Floral Gallery. A mock putting green was even installed in one of the main rooms as homage to Andy’s favorite pastime, golfing. The two returned to Playa del Carmen for their honeymoon in January and, once again, enjoyed the energy of the BPM festival, this time as a married couple. “We had such a good time that it was an easy decision to go back,” Anneke says. Although the two classify themselves as homebodies, they hope to plan more adventures together both at home and in new destinations. “There was a lot of chemistry there,” Anneke says. “And I think there still is.”