we're getting married!

Like many modern love stories, ours began with a swipe — thank you, Tinder! Brice made the first move, sliding into my messages with a dumb joke (which, to his credit, did make me smile). But what really caught my attention? A photo of Brice’s dog, Harper — instant bonus points for it coincidentally being my favorite dog breed. Our first date was at The BOB in Grand Rapids. Over dinner, conversation flowed effortlessly, and it quickly became clear that one meal wouldn’t be enough. Neither of us wanted the night to end, so we wandered to the bar afterward, played some yard games, and kept the laughter going. Before we knew it, one date turned into every day. We started spending every moment together, and it just felt easy — like we’ve been waiting to find each other. That’s when we knew: this was the beginning of something real. Over the past five years, we’ve built a life full of love, laughter, and plenty of furry cuddles — including adding our cat, Ziva, to the family. We bought our first home, turned it into a cozy little world, and continued growing together every step of the way. Now, we can’t wait to take the next step — surrounded by the people we love — as we say “I do” and officially begin their forever.

A place that will always be special in our hearts is Grand Haven, MI. In our early dating years (especially during the pandemic), we would spend most of our free time making the drive to the beach. We loved walking up and down the beach with the dog and having endless conversations about our own lives and the future we see together. If there was one good thing to come from the pandemic, it was the quality time we spent together getting to know one another with no distractions. 07.27.2024 We took another walk down the beach with his sister and dog in tow. As we approached the dunes, Brice stopped and asked for a picture. Note that this was odd considering he is not one to sit still very long for photos. He instructed me to face the beach and then turn around with the dog. When I turned, there he was on the ground on one knee. I like to think I saw it coming but there was still a shock value as somehow I let go of the dog leash to embrace him. Luckily, his sister was there to capture this moment…and the dog!