There’s nothing more romantic than a graveyard. With the right lighting, the right string quartet, or maybe just the right person, a cemetery can be a dream date. Jenna Grande and Tyler Remmel’s first date (kicked off after Jenna made the first move on Bumble), the paths of the Congressional Cemetery were practically paved with rose petals. "Most people are like, 'A cemetery? That's not very romantic,'" Jenna says. "But if you read the tombstones, all you see are declarations of love."  They spent hours wandering the grounds, piecing together the stories of the people buried there. "I went home that night and journaled about it," Jenna confides. "I'm going to marry this boy." On that dreamy May night in 2021, the couple shared their first kiss at Stanton Park, and went their separate ways; they’ve been nearly inseparable ever since.

 

It’s been nearly four years since that night, and Jenna and Tyler have become their own little family unit. That unit wouldn’t be complete with Pigs In A Blanket, their equal parts certifiably adorable and ruggedly handsome pit terrier mix. Pigs was adopted by Jenna and Tyler from Wolf Trap Animal Rescue when he was just twelve weeks old. "Having a puppy is humbling," Tyler admits, recalling the midnight potty breaks and training sessions. Pig’s puppy education took him to Paw by Paw Dog Training in Kensington, where he not only learned to be a good dog citizen, but a good neighbor. Pigs, who will be two in August, is all grown up now, and he’s nothing short of a model canine. “He just makes people so happy,” Jenna says. Whether he’s on a well-paced walk around the neighborhood or liquifying on the couch, Pigs is Jenna and Tyler’s perfect and constant companion.

 

Before they were attached at the hip, Jenna and Tyler originated from different parts of the country. Jenna is originally from Branford, Connecticut, a suburb just east of New Haven. She spent most of her pre-DC life there, until she flew the coop to Poughkeepsie, New York to attend Marist College, where she studied environmental policy and minored in economics. Throughout her time at Marist, she was the editor-in-chief of her college newspaper. When spring ended, she would return to her family in Branford for the summers, working at the local creamery where she’d worked since high school. Upon graduating, she worked on some campaigns in Connecticut before landing a job in DC with former Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty in 2015. That job ultimately brought her to DC in 2018.

 

While Jenna was scooping cones in the tri-state area, Tyler was in Hubertus, Wisconsin (a Milwaukee suburb), where he attended Brewers games and spent enough time in competitive pools to make a fish blush. He swam all the way through high school, but had to return to dry land to head to Ohio’s Ashland University, where he jumped right back in the water on the school’s swim team. In 2012, Tyler most impressively qualified for the U.S. Olympic swimming trials in the 100-meter Breaststroke. After graduating college in 2013, Tyler moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where he lived and worked until 2019, when he finally made his way to DC. Neither of them knew it yet, but Jenna was already there, waiting for him.

 

Work drew both Jenna and Tyler to the nation’s capital, and it would be a disservice to not highlight the great work they do for their community and country. Tyler is a senior news designer and developer at the Washington Post, where he tells stories across multiple platforms. “My job is to not only make it look good, but also to make the stories told for our readers in a way that readers can consume them,” Tyler says. Working both in print and online, Tyler says he’s the “reader-focused person” who lays out the design of the paper. Tyler has

been a part of multiple Pulitzer Prize-winning project teams at The Post. “I've been at the Post to work on a lot of very fun projects that have also been very helpful for democracy and for the country,” Tyler says. Upon the mention of his prizes, Tyler couldn’t repress his inner baseball fan; “I also got to work on the Nats World Series run, which is fun.”

 

Jenna is doing equally important work in the nonprofit sector. When former Congresswoman Esty retired, Jenna moved on to nonprofits, ultimately working in communications. For the last five years, Jenna has been the press secretary at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. At the time of this article, Jenna will have transitioned to a new position: communications director at Patriotic Millionaires. Here, she’ll partake in the mission that focuses on taxing the wealthy and raising the minimum wage. “I think it’s really important work, and I'm excited to join them in that work,” Jenna says. She’s looking forward to contributing to a goal and a mission she truly believes in, and her passion for her work is infectious.

 

As their work lives thrived and evolved, Jenna and Tyler found their home in a co-op in Cleveland Park. Their affection for Cleveland Park is palpable, a love affair that began after tasting the delicacies at SakuSaku Flakerie. Their co-op on Macomb Street, into which they moved in June 2022, serves as their home base. "It feels very suburban, even though we're not very far from downtown D.C.," Jenna says, adding that they appreciate the "nice green spaces" and the sense of community through a shared living complex.

 

While their enthusiasm for local businesses began much earlier, the locales in and around Cleveland Park continue to garner Tyler and Jenna’s undivided attention. They have a laundry list of favorites, including Femme Fatale, Proper Topper, and Foundation Fitness.  The Cleveland Park Farmers Market is another cherished spot, where they frequently stock up produce and compost weekly.   "There's nothing I love more than supporting small business owners," Jenna says. "It's just always going to speak to my heart." When family comes to town, Jenna and Tyler delight in showcasing their favorite spots, from Nanny O'Brien's to Cactus Cantina. "We try to tailor the experiences to something that they haven't experienced before," Tyler says. "We have our spots, and whether they're the best, they are our favorite."

 

Setting aside their local favorites, Jenna and Tyler also share a multitude of favorite hobbies, including tennis, softball, watching baseball games, and catching up on their favorite TV shows when DC gets cold in the winter. They each have a green thumb, an avocation they’ve developed from their notably green Valentine’s Day tradition. Every February, they exchange plant-related gifts, a tradition that started with succulents and has evolved to include fiddle leaf fig trees, AeroGardens, and even a Sims game (for virtual gardening, of course).

 

Jenna and Tyler’s radiant energy is abundantly clear, whether they’re glowing about Pigs, highlighting their encyclopedic knowledge of the best local dives, uplifting each other, or fighting for the important issues that weigh on their hearts. No matter the point of conversation, an air of gratitude is tangible between the two. “I'm very grateful for Tyler and   the patience he shows me and the way that he views the world,” Jenna says. She’s also grateful for the home and community they’ve built in Cleveland Park, a sentiment Tyler echoes. They’re furthermore appreciative for their health, access to mental health services, and the friends and family who love and support them. Jenna shares a sweet sentiment: “When you're younger, you're filled with insecurity and doubt and stuff, but this is, at one point, everything I wished for, and to actually have achieved it is so incredibly wonderful, and I'm so grateful for that.”