PHOTOS COURTESY OF N. FOX JEWELERS
Jenna Cottrell and Zachary Smith were like two ships passing in the night. They lived in the same building, used the same gym, and went to the same hairdresser, but it wasn’t until she set them up, that this couple finally met one another.
The first time Zack asked Jenna out, she declined. When he asked again a couple weeks later, Jenna agreed. Two years later, the couple was engaged.
Jenna, a 2009 Saratoga Springs High School graduate, Sports Anchor and Reporter at ABC 13 WHAM in Rochester, is accustomed to being poised and camera-ready, but during Zack’s proposal that December morning in 2023 – an unbelievable surprise in the middle of the craziness of football’s mid-season – she was shaking.
Jenna’s parents and big sister, Alissa, arrived an hour later for what was suddenly an extra-special celebratory weekend. Jenna’s mom, Valerie, booked the couple’s June 28, 2025 wedding at the Canfield Casino the following Monday.
“I love Saratoga. It’s where I grew up and is such a cool place to be!” said Jenna. “I love seeing how much it’s grown, and I love seeing people experience it for the first time. With so much extended family coming in from Massachusetts, it’s also a nice ‘meet in the middle’ spot for all of us.”
Like the couple, ninety percent of their 165 guests would be visiting Saratoga from out of town– a poignant moment for the family - one they feared might never come, as both Jenna, and her brother, Garrett, battled cancer.
After graduating from Syracuse University and moving to Rochester in 2016, Jenna was busy pursuing her dream job when, shortly after her 26th birthday, she had exploratory surgery and received the devastating news; she had Stage IV Hodgkins Lymphoma. The diagnosis sent a shockwave through her family, which had already battled Garrett’s cancer (Read “The Power of a Love Story” for more on the Cottrell family’s touching journey on saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com).
Following two rounds of chemotherapy, Jenna lost her hair. It was hard to recognize herself in the mirror, and she was terrified every step of the way, but the experience taught her how to live more courageously, she said.
While in remission, Jenna flipped her life upside down, left her boyfriend of four years, and weathered the whirlwind of readjusting, she remembers, tears welling up in her famously “leaky eyes.”
One thing Jenna said she really loves about Zack (who grew up in Webster, NY, played Division 1 Football at Colgate University, and now works in cybersecurity) is how calm, accepting, and understanding he is of her past, and how it may shape their future.
Jenna’s fans have also been unbelievably supportive, she said, as they witnessed her life unfold on-air, celebrated by her best friend, Dan Fetes, (Jenna’s cohost on Buffalo Plus, a YouTube podcast covering The Buffalo Bills for 40,000+ subscribers). Dan was great at getting everyone psyched up “preparing for the big game,” her nuptials, where he’d be officiating.
Jenna and Zack’s wedding weekend kicked off in the heart of Saratoga on Friday night with an intimate rehearsal dinner and drinks for all at Jacob & Anthony’s. By Saturday morning, the mood was tense - a Tornado Warning was issued - threatening to ruin the outdoor ceremony in Congress Park that Jenna had dreamed of.
Just as they were scheduled to begin, the weather cleared. It was a gift, said Jenna, from her grandparents (whom she had always been close to). When she heard “…you’re going to have it your way or nothing at all…” from TLC’s song “Waterfalls” playing in the background, it was a nod from her grandfather, she said, who had passed in May.
A sentimental first look and heartfelt private exchanging of vows were followed by a beautiful public park ceremony and a rocking reception at the historic Canfield Casino. The timeless venue was highlighted by Distinctive Catering’s excellent food, and flower arrangements by Robin Holland of Goode Farms, featuring gorgeous greens, delightful creams, and pops of Saratoga’s sea blues. To end the elegant evening, guests headed to Broadway for an afterparty at The Bunker.
On Sunday, Valerie and Ben Cottrell invited guests to their home for brunch catered by The Omelette King. “They’d spent every weekend beforehand getting ready. It was really cool to see how excited they were,” said Jenna, adding, “Sunday was really great because we could actually talk to people and not be pulled in a million different directions.”
Jenna and Zack enjoyed a “mini-moon” in Cape Cod, and are looking forward to their “later-moon,” an extended couple’s getaway in Greece, this May.