Mike and Katelyn met at a St Patrick’s day party in Kalamazoo, MI. The two were paired up for games and ended up winning the rest of the day! Mike will say he was in love then, but naturally, Katelyn was too caught up in the competition to notice. The two parted ways at the end of the evening. Several months later, the same mutual friends arranged a haunted house outing. Mike was living in Chicago, but drove four hours to the haunted house, knowing Katelyn would be there. The couple hit it off immediately and have been happily together since.

The couple’s first official date was at Ellie’s Café in Chicago. Katelyn was making an early morning trip to O’Hare airport and Mike asked her to meet him for a 6:00 AM breakfast. If you know Mike, you know he is NOT a morning person! This was the first and last time he has asked Katelyn to do anything at 6:00 AM. Despite the early time, the couple bonded over good conversation and their genuine love for breakfast food. They still continue weekly breakfast dates at their favorite spot – LaRue’s!

Mike completely surprised Katelyn with an at home proposal. When she arrived in Chicago, she assumed that Mike was in the backyard starting a bon fire – a typical Friday night for the couple. None the wiser, she took her time making it outside. After what felt like a VERY long time to Mike, she finally opened the door to the patio. The walkway was lined with bouquets of flowers, candles, and lanterns leading to the fire and Mike! Katelyn remembers asking, “What is this?” and Mike replying, “I think you know.” but neither one remembers what else was said until he popped the question – down on one knee, sweatpants and all. It was very "Mike and Katelyn" and a perfect evening!