We're getting married!

Erica and Ryan met in their final semester of school at Western Illinois University. Erica was working as a teaching assistant in the accounting department, and as fate would have it, Ryan was an accounting minor having a tough time with one of his classes. Erica helped tutor Ryan and what started out as study sessions quickly turned into real conversations, shared laughter, and something neither of them saw coming.

Ryan had originally planned to propose on New Year’s Day at Devil’s Lake in Wisconsin, but Erica was ready to head home and accidentally sabotaged those plans. Not giving up, Ryan arranged another hike at a forest preserve near their house, followed by dinner. Despite another near-sabotage, Ryan persisted. At their favorite lookout point, Ryan surprised Erica by dropping to one knee, creating a moment they will always cherish.