Chad and Katelyn met through mutual friends and it was a while before the sparks starting flying. Much to Chad's chagrin, it took Katelyn a bit longer than he would've like to catch on that he was into her. Katelyn was completely oblivious, not wanting to see more than what was there. Eventually she came to her senses and realized that Chad was not only a great guy, but someone that she truly enjoyed being with. We officially started dated on March 17th, 2016.
We planned a few weeks prior to go to the drive-in movies in Fish Creek since I had never gone to that particular drive-in. That morning Chad said he thought we could go up earlier and bum around Door County, see what else was going on before we went to the movies. I didn't think anything of it because we always take random day trips. Once we made sure the doggo was taken of we headed off. First we stopped in Sturgeon Bay for lunch. Then we went to the new Door 44 tasting room (beautiful place). Chad joined me in a tasting. There was one that he said he liked and we should buy a bottle for the movie. (This should've been my first clue something was going on... Chad is not a wine person ha!) After the winery we headed towards Whitefish Dunes/ Cave Point State Park. I had never been to Cave Point so I was excited to see something new. We wandered the trail for a bit, stopping every so often to jaw drop at the waves, and in one particular spot we stood a bit too close getting soaked by one huge wave. We moved a bit further down the trail and stood just admiring the beauty that we have so close to home and rarely take advantage of. Chad had his arms wrapped around me, said "I love you". Next thing I know he hands me THE little black box, I'm sobbing, he asks if that means yes and I say YES! I was shocked and extremely happy. He did it in the most perfect way possible.
While having a wedding on the 4th of July seems fun in and of itself, there is a special meaning behind why we chose this particular day. Chad and I share a love of fireworks and we often find ourselves going to certain events because of the fireworks. July 4th, 2016 while watching the fireworks, Chad leaned in and said those three little words, "I love you". To us, getting married on the same day that we first acknowledged our full feelings for each other seemed... yes, cheesy... but also romantic and meaningful. We hope you can share this day with us!