She made the first move...because that's how this particular dating app worked. They exchanged messages for a bit (there may have been a 17 day period where she didn't respond, but he wasn't counting) and no red flags came up, so they agreed to meet for drinks on a weeknight in March of 2022. The first date went well, but the initial flame was a slow burn. On the second date, they met up for a walk through the UW-Madison Arboretum. Was this where they had their first kiss? They don't kiss and tell. The third date is when the fireworks went off. It was just a dinner and drinks with a night of firsts, but not of lasts. It's where she first courteously corrected him on his wrong pronunciation of words, and where he first saw tears stream down her face from laughing. The bond would only heat up through the summer of '22. Their connection grew as they spent more time together through similar interests. They both liked to be active/outdoors and would spend late afternoons kayaking and paddle boarding on Lake Monona discussing their lives up to that point, or they figured out what restaurant they wanted to check off their "Madison Must Try's" list they created. Now would be a good time to mention golf: she'll downplay it and say she's ok, and he'll underestimate it and say he doesn't play a lot. Their first golf date had a lot on the line. He didn't know to what she would later confess, but it wasn't his swing she would judge. It was how he came dressed. Maybe it was fate or pure luck, but he unknowingly passed the test. Throughout the summer and into the fall, they introduced their family and friends to one another. After these initial meetings, the two would breathe a sigh of relief when soon after the text messages started rolling in with approval. It was September, they took a trip across the country for his friend's wedding in Martha's Vineyard. This is where they exchanged the first "I love you's". They snuck away from the group of friends, and explored a beach on the westside of the island. It was the perfect scene. The sun was out, it was a blue sky day, gentle waves from the Atlantic washed ashore, and they walked barefoot hand-in-hand. He turned to her, with a little bit of nerves, and looked into her eyes, and said "I think I love you". Her eyes sparkled and with a big smile on her face she said "You THINK you love me, or you KNOW you love me". Thankfully it was the latter of the two. Oh and they soon found out they were standing on a nudist beach. Things seemed to have moved quickly after that. In the winter, he taught her how to ski. By March of 2023, he moved out of his apartment and into her home. Throughout the spring, she completed numerous interviews and successfully landed a new job in the Milwaukee area. By June they loaded up the U-haul and moved to Wales, WI. They explored the new area, went to Brewer games, and a few more trips sprinkled in between. The Wisconsin winter months can be long and dreary, so they opted for a few days in the warm weather of Puerto Rico in February of 2024. The first few days were like any vacation. They walked new streets, they ate, they drank, they swam etc. Then came February 2nd, the two flew to a small island east of Puerto Rico. It was the perfect scene. The sun was out, it was a blue sky day, white capped waves from the Caribbean crashed upon the shore, and they walked barefoot with pina coladas in hand. He turned to her, with a lot of bit of nerves, and got down on one knee and looked into her eyes. He gave a speech. She said it was a blur. He thinks he ended with "Will you marry me?". She thinks that phrase didn't occur. No matter the case, she said "Yes!" They hugged, they kissed, and fully clothed beach goers applauded. So now the newly engaged couple are asking you, family and friends, to be a part of their perfect scene near a beach in Mexico for their wedding day, November 4th 2024.