Mike and Victoria met in person January 1st, 2016 at the Polar Plunge at Bradford Beach. After speaking to each other for around a month online, they decided that jumping into some cold water together would be a fun way to “break the ice!” Victoria, knowing that Mike was celebrating the night before for New Years Eve (Mike provided her photo evidence), wasn’t sure he would make it, so she invited her Mom and nephew to go along with her and cheer her on. Mike, ever the gentlemen never to flake on a meeting, showed up (although a little late) and was surprised to see Victoria, but also her family with her. And that’s how Mike met Victoria’s Mom and nephew on their first “date,” where her Mom was the true breaker of the ice! And that’s how their relationship began. Victoria's family didn't find out until months later that that was the first time Victoria and Mike met and not at UW Madison as what was assumed.

Mike got his first clue about how kewl Victoria was when she passed his initial litmus test of enjoying his favorite divey bar (The Gig, in Riverwest, where groomsman JJ Schwendel lurked in the background in case Victoria turned out to be a crazy person). Mike was initially extremely impressed at how she was able to whip ingredients together seemingly out of nowhere to make awesome meals, as well as incredible cocktails. His admiration for her cooking skills quickly was surpassed by his admiration for her extremely positive attitude, work ethic, and fun-loving nature. When Mike was asked by co-best man Michael Billings (after many unintentional drinks on a random Saturday afternoon) what it was that had him head over heels with her, he responded “I wake up and admire who she is every day”, and that continues to this day.

As we all know, finding a compatible significant other can be a real struggle. Some try and find their match at a bar and others browse on the internet. To her surprise, Mike found Victoria when she was looking at her old dating profile when she was anticipating her move to Milwaukee. Out of the blue Mike commented on her mention of “efficiently riding her bike through Mad-town traffic” in her profile, something that only fellow Madison grads would understand. Victoria was drawn to Mike’s passion for his work and hobbies alike . While browsing through his answers to questions about compatibility, she noticed (aside from him seeming to be a well-rounded guy) that they were looking for the same qualities and that they were both looking for “someone to come home to.” Six months later, Victoria moved in with Mike and found that he was exactly what she was looking for; a fun, intelligent, loving fella who she looks forward to both coming home to everyday as well as the rest of her days to come.