By CC Kallam / Photography by Melissa Maureen
From left to right; Trey, Leigh-ann, Jason and Nik
New York native Jason Kait first met Canadian-born Leigh-ann Vlaar at Parker and Otis in 2014. Leigh-ann was new to Chapel Hill, having recently moved from Chicago with her sons, Trey and Nik, who at the time were 10 and 8. Jason, who came to the area in 1995 to study at Duke, and Leigh-ann connected instantly.
In July 2020, the foursome enjoyed a family dinner on the patio at Tandem, their first meal out at a restaurant during the pandemic. “Afterward, we made our way to Maple View Farm,” Leigh-ann says. It was then that Jason told the boys how much he had grown to love not only their mother, but them as well, and popped the question.
Kait & Vlaar 
The wedding was held on April 17, 2021, at The Colonial Inn with eight loved ones in attendance and more watching on Zoom. “After the ceremony, we enjoyed the beautiful spring day with our guests,” the couple says. “As the sun set, we gathered on the balcony of the inn at a single table for conversation and dinner. It was perfect.” Since 2009, Jason has studied head and spine injury as a research and development engineer at the Injury Biomechanics Lab at Duke, while Leigh-ann runs a home day care and is a certified pediatric sleep consultant. The family lives in Chapel Hill.
