Long before I met Ben, I was notorious for forgetting where I parked my car, and on every occasion leading up to the night we met this had always been a huge inconvenience to me. However, on December 8th of 2019 losing my car just so happened to be the perfect scenario to help me find the love of my life. So it began, after one night of dancing with a complete stranger to Tennessee Whisky and You Belong With Me at Grand Rapid’s finest country bar: Back40, we each knew we had found something special in the other. Not to mention, the hour we spent wandering downtown Grand Rapids looking for my red Nissan Juke, Daphne. One week later, Ben showed up at my door with roses and took me ice skating at Rosa Parks Circle and to coffee at Bitter End where we sat and talked about anything and everything for hours into the night. Fast forward through Sunday mornings spent with pancakes, pour-overs, and online church; Tuesday afternoons spent walking Reeds Lake and eating street tacos; Friday nights spent, cooking in the kitchen listening to Ben Rector, watching Star Wars, and sipping Cab. From Leelanau Cellars, and you’ll land roughly 8 months later at my family cottage. Ben gathered a bunch of my family together for the most beautiful surprise over Labor Day Weekend. With the beach sunset as his backdrop, Ben proposed surrounded by rose petals, twinkling lights, and photographs of some of our favorite memories. Needless to say, I said YES! Today, Ben and I navigate engaged life as I continue teaching 6th grade at WSCS and he attends GVSU’s Physical Therapy doctorates program. We still enjoy a good pour over and I’ve learned to tolerate Star Wars. We aren’t perfect, but I don’t lose my car as much anymore! I simply adore Ben, and I know he loves me a crazy a lot too, so I think Taylor Swift predicted it pretty well back in December. We are so excited to love and be loved by the other for the rest of forever, and we’re overjoyed to celebrate with you.