Karsyn and Landen first met on January 5, 2023, thanks to some mutual friends who brought them together. Landen went to Illinois State and Karsyn was at the University of Illinois, and they both agreed to meet up for an open skate at the U of I Ice Rink. It was a casual day, but little did they know it would be the start of something really special. After skating, the group grabbed lunch, and Landen and Karsyn ended up sitting next to each other. He was supposed to go bowling with his friends afterward, but he managed to convince them to go paint pottery with Karsyn's friends instead; he says it was just to spend a little more time talking to her. They didn’t start dating right away, but a few months later, they reconnected through the same group of friends. That time, everything clicked. Karsyn and Landen spent spring break talking every day, and on March 20, 2023, they made it official.

Karsyn and Landen got engaged on June 16, 2024; just a few days after moving into their first apartment together. Karsyn had just gotten home from work, expecting an ordinary evening. Instead, she was surprised to find Landen dressed up and waiting for her with a smile. He told her he was taking her out to dinner and that she should get ready. When Karsyn came back into the living room, all dressed up, Landen got down on one knee and proposed right there in their new home. It was a simple, heartfelt moment that felt perfectly like them. Of course, there had been a small (and hilarious) spoiler a few months earlier; when Landen accidentally answered a phone call from Kay Jewelers on speaker while Karsyn was in the car. The voice on the other end cheerfully confirmed that “his order was ready to be picked up,” and while the surprise may have been slightly compromised, the laughter in that moment made it unforgettable. After the proposal, they went out to a nice dinner to celebrate the beginning of this exciting new chapter together.