How it began: A swipe, a few jokes, some chips and guac, and a couple margs and this rom com was well on its way. How it grew: Even amid some international travel, which both parties realized there was a common destination in Rome and Tuscany, the convos and taco night dates continued with frequent stops in Ann Arbor and Royal Oak. How it escalated: Nicole will tell you she had Jeff hooked after an invite and trip to Traverse City that included 2 rounds of golf at Arcadia Bluffs. While Jeff will point back to the “last minute” plus one invite to his first family event and wedding as the indication things were going pretty well. But the true way to see how this love story developed would be through their vehicles. That’s right, the odometers don’t lie and the stretch of highways that are US-23, M-14 and I-696 will back up the numbers that these two wore out that stretch of road to constantly be able to be together. The proposal: Despite multiple trips that had people close to the couple wondering if a question was going to be popped at one of the destinations, Jeff was able to keep it under wraps when it came to the grand scheme for the proposal. With the help of the Maid of Honor, Abby, getting Nicole out of the house for the day and everyone’s favorite pair of German Shepherds, Raylan and Grace to make clear the question to be asked, the back yard proposal was deemed a success and the first element of surprise was complete. Hidden amid a white lie of a small birthday celebration for Jeff, was the second element of surprise. An engagement party with local friends and family was the perfect way to wrap up the proposal activities and the video footage proves Nicole wasn’t expecting a thing. What’s next: While the happy couple can’t wait for September, it isn’t the only thing on their plate. Who says you can’t finish renovating one house, buy another, get that house move-in ready, and plan a wedding all at once? Stay tuned for updates and see you at the DAC!