Andrea was born in Chicago, grew up in California, and eventually found her way back to the Midwest for college at Butler University in Indianapolis, IN. Ethan, on the other hand, is a born-and-raised Hoosier from Fort Wayne, IN, who went to Indiana University, because of course, where else would a Hoosier go? After graduating from Indiana University, Ethan moved to Indianapolis to prepare for law school at IU McKinney School of Law. He and his roommate, Jeff Reinking, were excited to start their lives downtown as young, single, soon-to-be law students. Meanwhile, Andrea and her best friend, Sarah Pate, also moved downtown. Andrea was accepted into the Orr Fellowship program and began working at an IT consulting firm alongside two other Orr Fellows, Sarah Kolczak and Jacob Cribbs. The three became fast friends and were eager to meet each other’s circles. Jacob briefly introduced Andrea to Ethan one night at Burnside Inn. First impressions were made, but nothing too exciting. Over the summer, Ethan and Andrea would occasionally run into each other on Mass Ave and chat about their shared experiences as camp counselors, but again, nothing too exciting, yet. That all changed in late July 2021, when Jacob, Andrea, Sarah, Lara, and Martha decided it was time for another monthly group dinner. This is where the real story begins. The girls jokingly asked Jacob if he had anyone to set them up with. When it was Andrea’s turn, Jacob mentioned that he thought she and Ethan would get along, and Andrea wasted no time responding, “Text him now.” So Jacob did. Ethan assumed it was his friend being a good wingman, but in reality, Andrea had been pulling the strings all along. Their first date was on August 3, 2021, and by the end of that month, they were officially together. Since then, they have loved life downtown, cheering at games and spending time at Lake James. Andrea supported Ethan through law school and the bar exam, while Ethan has cheered Andrea on through her many side quests, including dog photography, Butler involvement, and even working at a flower shop. Fast forward to August 2, 2025, when Ethan decided it was time to propose. He took Andrea on a date to Newfields. The summer had been very hot, but that Saturday turned out to be magically perfect weather. When they arrived, they had to go through security and empty their pockets. Fortunately, Ethan had placed the ring in a smaller bag so Andrea would not notice. They made it through without her seeing anything, though she was secretly on the lookout for a box. They walked through the beautiful gardens and made their way down to the river. Eventually, they had to go through security again, but Ethan handled it like a pro. As they headed back toward the museum, Ethan tried to pull the ring from his pocket and accidentally dropped it on the ground. Andrea pretended not to notice, as she could tell he was nervous enough already. They continued walking until Ethan stopped, got down on one knee, and popped the question. Andrea’s good friend, Mike Lee, was there to capture it all. They then enjoyed a beautiful picnic and took more photos before heading home to a huge surprise party with all their friends and family. It feels only fitting that so many of their milestones happened in August, their first date, their anniversary, Ethan’s proposal, and soon, their wedding day. On August 22, 2026, they can’t wait to make their favorite August memory yet by saying, “I do.”