Legend has it that Joe and Liz first met in the summer of 1999 when Joe’s parents were touring the house next to Liz’s childhood home. Tom and Bridgette, Joe’s parents, knew Chris, Liz’s mom, so they dropped off Joe and his siblings to play. Fast forward two decades and Joe and Liz matched on the dating app Hinge. Joe set very specific Hinge filters and low and behold Dr. Liz Ulrich showed up on his screen. They met in person on a date at Wright & Company, and the first date involved talking about how the MacLean and Carroll families grew up together, quizzing each other on the names of aunts, uncles, and cousins, and looking at pictures of Healy, Liz’s dog and the real reason Joe started dating Liz.

As a general surgery resident, Liz has only four days off per month, which meant the chances for Joe to propose were limited. The riddle Joe had to solve was to propose to Liz and include the following elements: a surprise, Liz’s dog Healy, pictures of the actual proposal, and their family and friends. As an avid photographer, Joe had been taking and collecting portraits of Liz, Healy, and himself using a tripod and the self-timer feature on his camera. The plan was to set up a portrait shot of Liz, Joe, and Healy and then as soon as the picture was about to snap, Joe was to get down on a knee and propose. Chris, Liz’s mom, and Joe planned a three-tiered surprise which started out with Joe’s proposal at the dog park that included the Detroit skyline in the background, a visit from their close friends at Liz’s condo, and a family party at Liz’s grandparents’ house.