Erik and Ericka both attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison and met through mutual college friends. Our love story kicked off during a Badger football tailgate at The Stadium Bar almost 10 years ago! After a few dates Erik asked Ericka to be his girlfriend at his birthday bowling party. Our relationship kept getting stronger while attending Badger sporting events, traveling around the world, and spending time with family and friends. When Erik decided to move to Arizona in pursuit of a golf career, this put our relationship to the test. Daily video calls weren't enough to keep Ericka long distance so she joined Erik in Arizona and supported him every step of the way. We moved back to WI in 2018, bought our first home together in Madison, WI in May 2019 and adopted our dog, Rory, in February 2020. And so the love story continues...

Our proposal story is one of secrecy and surprise. We finally went on our first trip since the pandemic started to visit Erik's sister, brother-in-law and nephews for a long weekend in Phoenix, AZ. We decided to go hiking at Saguaro Lake early in the morning to avoid the heat and crowd. After a 3 mile hike amongst the agave and saguaro to a picturesque spot on a lake, it was time for a casual picture. During that moment, Ericka felt a box in Erik's pocket and was in shock. Erik look Ericka in the eyes and stated "I have a question for you..." after lowering to one knee, "Will you marry me?" Ericka exclaimed, "Are you serious!? Of course I will!" The return hike was full of great comments from passing hikers as Ericka's new ring glittered in the Arizona sun. The best part of the story is that this all took place on April Fool's Day! At 4am that morning, Erik called Ericka's parents to ask for permission to marry their daughter. The first question they asked Erik was, "This isn't an April Fool's joke, is it?" Erik replied, "No, this is for real. That would be a cruel joke." Hours later we were happily engaged eating tacos, drinking margaritas, and calling our loved ones to spread the news. A day we will remember in detail forever.