Eddie and Elsa first matched on Tinder during their junior year of college! Unfortunately for Eddie, he sent several messages over the next few months... and never got a response. Fast forward nine months—Eddie spotted Elsa at a party and instantly recognized her from her Tinder profile. He decided to shoot his shot one last time—and thank goodness he did! We hit it off right away and were officially dating less than a month later. Nearly five years later, that chance second meeting turned into something real and lasting—a relationship built on fun, trust, and a whole lot of shared memories.

Eddie left for basic training on October 1st, 2021—which also happened to be our one-year anniversary. He spent the next nine months in intense military training in Virginia, followed by three months at logistics school in North Carolina, before finally receiving his first duty station in San Diego, California. Meanwhile, Elsa was back in Minnesota finishing college, living with her friends, and launching her career as an actuary. Being apart wasn’t easy, but that season of long distance taught us so much—about communication, sacrifice, and trusting that all those plane tickets (and the money spent on them!) would be worth it in the end. And they absolutely were.

Woohoo—we finally closed the chapter on long distance and started the next one together! Eddie made the cross-country trek from California to Minnesota, packed up all of Elsa’s things, and then we both drove back to San Diego to officially begin this new adventure. And because we clearly weren’t busy enough, we decided it was the perfect time to add a little extra chaos—a sweet Golden Retriever puppy named Bentley! Our time here in San Diego has been nothing short of amazing. We’re so grateful for this chapter of our lives and everything it’s brought us.

Eddie had been secretly planning the proposal for months, enlisting the help of Michele (his mom) and Olivia (Elsa’s maid of honor) to track down the perfect ring. He chose the right team—they found exactly what Elsa had been dreaming of! With the ring secured, Eddie shifted his focus to planning the proposal itself. Thanks to his background in logistics, he treated it like a finely tuned operation, with one goal in mind: to completely surprise Elsa. And he nailed it. The morning of the engagement, he had a flawless cover story in place and even arranged for one of Elsa’s friends to take her to get their nails done. Elsa didn’t suspect a thing—so much so that she ended up canceling the nail appointment last-minute! Eddie had planned a romantic sunset proposal on the beach, and everything was set… except for one small oversight: he forgot that Elsa is chronically late (oops). We arrived just after the sun had dipped below the horizon—but that didn’t stop the moment from being absolutely perfect. Eddie popped the question, and Elsa was completely surprised! What made it even more magical was that missing the sunset actually gave us the most beautiful, glowy post-sunset photos. The whole day felt so “us”—unexpected, heartfelt, and unforgettable.