Well, the first time that I saw her was in honors geometry class freshman year of high school. I thought she was pretty cute, but the timing just wasn't right yet. Fast forward to junior year - now we're friends, but mostly through friends. She's still cute, and smart, and I guess I have a bit of a crush on her at this point. So I asked Hannah (read as: maid of honor) if she thought Maria would go to prom with me. With Hannah behind me, I decided to ask. Maria said YES! Junior prom ended up being one of the most awkward but awesome nights of my life! I had a great date, what can I say? So a few weeks pass and it’s the summer before senior year, and I gather the courage to ask Maria out on a date, ice skating or something high schoolly like that. AND SHE SAYS NO! I’m crushed! I don’t leave the house for weeks! But ultimately, senior year is closing in quick, time to get focused on cross country and other things. I guess I’ll live. Now senior year is in full swing. I go on a few dates with other girls throughout the year, but nothing too special. Eventually spring and prom come around again, and I’m starting to realize maybe I’m still feeling something for Maria – but ultimately decide that it would be WAY too awkward to ask her to prom again after getting brutally rejected last summer. Ultimately, I go with a friend, and Maria goes as friends with my good buddy Kyle (read as: groomsman). Summer after senior year is a blast. Maria and I start seeing each other at graduation parties every weekend and it seems like there might be a spark. And hey, we’re both headed to Ohio State in the fall, so maybe this can work out. I gather up all of the courage I can muster (still having nightmares about last year’s rejection) and ask her out to putt-putt. SHE SAYS YES!! So naturally I kicked her butt at putt-putt, we were a “thing” the rest of the summer, and made things official the night of my graduation party when I asked her to be my girlfriend, July 31, 2011.

Much of our friendship—later turned relationship—stemmed from our mutual classes in high school. We met in geometry freshman year but junior year English was truly the start of our little love story. One day during a presentation Dan was giving, he looked straight at me and slyly winked. I was a little surprised—was he flirting with me? I called him out after class but he assured me that I was mistaken, it was just one of his weird one eye blinks. He owned up to it years later, but was too embarrassed back then. Dan seemed to get his confidence back—a few months later, he asked me to prom; I happily accepted. We had a great time together—I still have some of the best memories of us dancing and holding hands that night! However, I still saw Dan as just a friend and wasn’t sure the timing was right. So when Dan asked me to go ice skating a few weeks later, I awkwardly made up an excuse that I already had plans with Hannah. As senior year started my feelings began to change. It seemed we had more chemistry—literally. We were in the same AP chemistry class, where my crush started to grow. Early in the year Dan tried to learn how to rip a phonebook in half. He proceeded to try it on his chemistry workbook—and succeeded. Every time we needed our workbooks Dan would scooch over to share with me, as we conveniently sat next to each other. I was secretly thankful for Dan’s ridiculous idea since this meant we got to be closer. By the end of the school year I found myself having strong feelings for Dan, but worried I had missed my shot. Thankfully after graduation, he started to show more interest. We knew we were both heading to OSU in the fall—we really had a shot to be together! In June, Dan asked me on our first real date—this time I accepted. Soon after our mini golf date I attended Dan’s grad party, where at the end of the night he walked me to my car and asked me to be his girlfriend. I said yes! Little did I know I would be saying those same words seven years later.

On Memorial Day Daniel took Maria for a short hike in one of their favorite places: the Cleveland Metroparks. When they arrived at the Bridal Veil Falls, Daniel got down on one knee and popped the question. Maria totally saw it coming because Daniel brought a bag for “water” for the 0.2 mile hike, but she was no less ecstatic and of course said yes.

We are so excited for you all to join us on the day we end four years of long-distance and become husband and wife!