Get ready for a party nine years in the making!

Mike and Nikki met during one of Mike's visits to Carleton College. Mike would visit Carleton every now and then to see his friend from high school, Polly. During one of these visits, Polly took Mike to a dance party that Nikki also happened to be attending. Polly's friend Michelle decided to be Mike's wingwoman for the evening. Upon arriving at the dance, Michelle said to Mike, "You should go dance with that tall girl!" (Nikki). Mike obligingly approached Nikki and asked her if she wanted to dance, to which she said yes and the rest is history!

Mike surprised Nikki with a proposal at her first class reunion at Carleton College. The reunion happened to fall on the same weekend as Nikki's birthday. Because of the fortuitous timing, Nikki was planning to celebrate her birthday with her friends Saturday night at the reunion. Nikki wanted Mike to go so he could celebrate too, but he told her that he had to work Friday and would try to make it for the party Saturday. Unbeknownst to Nikki, Mike did not have to work and was actually in Minnesota planning the surprise proposal with their friends Dustin and Megan. Mike called when he arrived on Saturday, and Nikki quickly made her way across campus to meet him. He intercepted her at one of her favorite spots, the Lyman lakes, right outside of the place where they first met. Nikki was surprised to see Mike also brought Dustin and Megan! She assumed they were there for the birthday celebration, but they were really there to capture the event that was about to take place. Mike pulled Nikki aside and recited a very sweet speech about their relationship, ending with Mike bending down on one knee and asking Nikki to marry him! Nikki enthusiastically responded "of course I'll marry you!"