In the times of swiping left or right on dating apps and in the midst of a pandemic, we were fortunate enough to meet through Rachel's cousin and Josh's best friend, John Paul. Although Rachel almost ruined it by not responding to Josh's text, Josh was persistent and asked her out on a date to which she excitedly accepted! Our first date was at Raised Grain Brewery where the night needed to be ended before we sat there all night talking. We both knew after that night that there was a special connection between us, and we wanted to see more of each other. This led to the second date of hiking at Lapham Peak and drinks to follow at Revere's Well Street Tavern. The date went extremely well and ended with our first kiss! From that moment we felt as though conversation was seamless and we were headed towards a great relationship. We continued to have countless dates, lake days, and hanging out with friends and family. We quickly became close with each other's families including our adorable nieces and nephews. There has never been a shortage of smiles, laughs, and good times shared. We are also able to share our interests between Josh's love for fishing and Rachel's love for spending summer days on the lake! When you know, you know... After just over a year, Josh proposed to Rachel! The proposal was everything that we could have imagined. Josh planned the proposal with the help of his Aunt and Uncle in La Crosse, WI where Rachel went to college. We were going up for a weekend to visit them and decided to stay downtown La Crosse. Upon arrival on a Saturday afternoon, we shared a lunch and then went down to walk in the International Gardens along the Mississippi River. When stopping at the Irish Garden, Josh took Rachel's hands in his and spoke about sharing our lives together. He got down on one knee and asked her to marry him in which she said yes right away! We then continued the celebration with a private dinner that Josh arranged, and the rest is history! We are looking forward to getting married with our friends and family by our sides!