Ultra Connected Jack Proposed to Abby

A confluence of family connections brought Jack Copeland to the front door of Abby Orlansky ending in a fairy tale engagement. Copeland was living and working in New York, and Orlansky was in physician assistant school in West Palm Beach. So began a courtship with lots of Delta points.

With enough genealogy to constitute a chart, Cheryl and Herb Orlansky’s son, Alex, and Arielle Klebanoff Orlansky were married in Virginia Beach during the pandemic in 2021. Since Arielle’s wedding showers were cancelled due to COVID, the first time the Orlansky family met her extended family was the wedding weekend. Her grandparents, Ann and Bobby Copeland, hosted a dinner party the Thursday night before the wedding so that everyone could meet. Mom, Cheryl, walked in the door to introduce herself to Ann, who said, “I have someone for your daughter, Abby, my grandson, Jack.” It took Cheryl by surprise as Ann had never met Abby.

Cheryl said, “At the wedding, they were introduced, and the rest is history. Our daughter-in-law’s mother, Jodi Klebanoff, and Jack’s father, Scott Copeland, are siblings. So, Arielle and Jack are first cousins. Since Arielle and Alex have an 18-month-old daughter, Sunnie, they call Jack her ‘Cousin Uncle’! I give thanks that her family thought so highly of Alex to want to introduce his sister to Jack.”

Here’s how the proposal went down: For Thanksgiving, the Orlanskys go to Orlando every year to be with their maternal side of the family. Abby said, “It’s the one time of year we get together with my entire extended family. This year was extra special, because we have four new baby cousins in the family (ranging from 3 months to 17 months) that would be there for Thanksgiving (including my niece and nephew – the cutest babies in the world. Orlando happens to be one of my favorite places ever, more specifically my uncle and aunt’s, Seth and Jerri Johnson’s, house.”

The house sits near a picturesque lake with a dramatic sunset, that Abby considers her second home. Jack had already selected the proposal site the previous Thanksgiving when he joined them for the first year. A big cousins’ dinner was planned to meet at the house first for a drink at sunset, then head to dinner.

Abby recalled, “Jack and I got ready first, so we headed over there in a separate car. When we showed up, no one was there, and that’s when I really figured out what was happening.”

Jack got down on one knee in the backyard. Next, Jack had planned a surprise party at a nearby boutique hotel (The Alfond Inn), where the whole family waited to complete a perfect night.

Abby has a bachelor’s in human development and family science from the University of Georgia and graduated as a physician assistant from South University. She works in a dermatology practice in Gaithersburg, Md. Jack has a bachelor’s in computer science from the University of Virginia and is vice president for his family real estate business in Rockville, Md. They live in Washington, D.C.

Jack mused, “I love Abby’s strength, thoughtfulness, sense of humor, and her ability to make me smile. She brightens my day every day and is truly my best friend. I know that she will always support me.”

Abby echoes, “A short list of what I love about Jack is his kindness, selflessness, thoughtfulness, and easy-going manner. He puts others first before himself and values the relationships in his life. He is the most “go with the flow “person and is always down for an adventure with me!”

Since they have nine weddings to attend between the two of them in 2025, their wedding will be in 2026!

In addition to Cheryl and Herb Orlansky of Atlanta, Jillian and Scott Copeland of Rockville, Md., are the groom’s parents. Grandparents are Ann and Bobby Copeland of Virginia Beach, Va., and Arlene Friedlander of Chevy Chase, Md.