John and Natalie met in high school, but the sparks didn't fly until a few years after graduation. After some helpful pushing from John's best friend and John's sister, the couple went on their first date in August of 2020.

On May 20th, 2023, John and Natalie got engaged! The couple went on a beautiful hike with some of their closest friends, Zach and Anna. When the two reached the top of the lookout trail at Shawnee park, John proposed! After the hike, John and Natalie went back to the Schmidl house for an engagement party with the couple's closest family members and friends. It was a perfect day!