We're Getting Married!

We first met as juniors at Miami Valley Career Technology Center (MVCTC) during the COVID shutdown in 2020. High school is already full of the excitement—and nerves—of meeting new people, but MVCTC added a unique challenge: being surrounded by classmates from different schools. Kaiden came from Bethel High School, and I (Kylie) was from Brookville. With so many new faces, we were eager to make connections beyond our hometowns. I made the first move by striking up a conversation, but Kaiden was the one to officially ask me to hang out. Our first “not-a-date” was breakfast at Cracker Barrel on Miller Lane in Dayton. Kaiden insisted we were just friends—despite picking me up and insisting on paying! From that morning on, we spent the summer before senior year together, quickly becoming inseparable. After graduating high school in 2021, we began building our life together. I pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing at the University of Northwestern Ohio, and Kaiden began his career in Aviation Maintenance after earning his credentials at MVCTC. We relocated to Northwestern Ohio, where our adventures continued. In 2023, we brought home our Golden Retriever puppy, Thor, who immediately filled our lives with joy (and energy!). Later that year, we purchased our first home together in Ada, OH. By the summer of 2024, I had completed my degree, and Kaiden achieved his Inspection Authorization (IA) credential, taking another exciting step forward in his aviation career. In December 2024, we welcomed home our second Golden Retriever, Emma! Now, we’re thrilled to begin the next chapter of our journey together and can’t wait to celebrate our wedding on August 2, 2025 with all of you!

Kaiden spent over seven months waiting for the perfect moment to propose, and it was more magical than I could have ever imagined. For Christmas 2023, he surprised me with a secret getaway. I had no idea where we were going until the morning of our trip! His plan? A peaceful, secluded cabin in Hocking Hills near Ash Cave—a place he chose with so much thought and care. Little did I know, I was about to get engaged that week. During a hike to the breathtaking Ash Cave, Kaiden got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. To make the moment even more unforgettable, he had hired a photographer to capture every second of the proposal. Seeing those photos for the first time made it feel like I was living the moment all over again! Kaiden’s thoughtfulness didn’t stop there—he picked the cabin as a place we could return to one day with our future family (as it slept up to 12 people), reliving the week we got engaged. It was the most perfect start to our forever.