In November 2024, Brenley was serving with Cru at West Virginia University and Ian with Cru at University of Michigan. At a Cru staff gathering we were introduced to each other by mutual friends, and hit it off immediately— over the next few months we kept in touch regularly and built a solid friendship. By early 2025, Brenley accepted a placement with Cru at the University of Michigan, and we began dating shortly thereafter. Though there was the obstacle of long distance, we were still able to make trips to visit each other about once a month, all while counting down the days until we were in the same state for good. In August 2025, Brenley moved to Ann Arbor for work and we could finally do all the things we loved together—hiking, kayaking, hammocking, playing board games with friends. By the early Fall, we both knew we had found our lifelong partner in one another. We realized one of our greatest joys was not just being best friends, but pursuing and serving Christ side-by-side. In November 2025, Ian had an elaborate proposal planned for a day trip to Chicago. However, the Michigan winter had other ideas. A massive snowstorm rolled in, cancelling our travel plans and forcing a quick pivot. We headed to Detroit for the day instead, where Ian proposed to Brenley in the garden outside of the Belle Isle Conservatory. It was an easy "yes" for Brenley!