Samuel charmed me with his quick wits and overall good looks. He asked me to coffee but then ultimately ended up making me choose between Chipotle and a steakhouse. Anyone who has ever met Samuel knows there was a correct answer to this choice. I am glad I chose right and we met at the Chipotle on 16th Street Mall in Denver. I am not sure if he would have shown up if I had chosen the steakhouse (just kidding, kind of). I would later find out that Samuel doesn't drink coffee and he basically only likes to eat Chipotle. Looking back I can't tell if I was bamboozled or not. Our first date was full of burritos, talking, and walking around downtown for hours. Once we had spent ample time together and I had decided he was most likely not a serial killer, Samuel ended up driving me home and parking in the Quizno's parking lot (the first Quiznos ever to exist I would like to point out) where we continued to talk more. I knew once he had dropped me off that I wanted to see him again. Thankfully he felt the same way and we went on a second date a couple days later. I was leaving on a trip to visit one of my best friends from High School the next day (shoutout Gabrielle D'Agosta). I was worried Samuel would forget about our time together and he would quickly move on especially considering Valentines Day was approaching quickly. When I returned from my trip and he was there waiting for me with heart shaped cinnamon rolls and multiple boxes of chocolate I knew he was the one!

I saw Kaylyn for the first time at the Chipotle on 16th St Mall in downtown Denver. She wore a black dress with white spots, a jean coat, and was the one who decided that we meet at Chipotle in the first place, it was love at first bite. I still remember the entire experience, from dinner all the way until 2 a.m. when we decided that walking around downtown Denver was not safe anymore. We had a couple drinks, shot some hoops in an arcade, and walked by a lot of the landmarks but ultimately she enamored me with her beauty and her love to debate. We talked for hours on end and still hadn’t had enough so we decided to do it again, over sushi. That was the beginning to our story for me, and it made my 2020 a whole lot better than I imagine most of the world felt.

Like any other 25 year old woman about to be kicked off her parent's health insurance, once I knew Samuel was the one I could not wait for him to propose. I will admit my excitement got a little out of control and I ended up in a similar situation to Stassi on Vanderpump Rules (if you don't get the reference she caused multiple fights with her now Husband Beau while he was trying to keep their proposal a surprise). The night before I was crying wondering if I would ever get married. I had put in my 2-week notice at my job in Denver and Samuel and I were planning on moving out of Denver to Kansas City the next weekend. I knew if it didn't happen now it would have to happen over the holidays and one of the only things I told Samuel I didn't want was an engagement ring for Christmas. The day of the engagement Samuel had told me we were going to a surprise party for our friend Emma. Emma's boyfriend Tristan is one of Samuel's best friends that he has known since Middle School. He left early in the morning decked out in a full suit with a drill in his hand. I was concerned to say the least. Emma and I were driving together to her surprise party which meant we were both in a car "wondering where we were going". When we pulled up to Wallace Park in DTC I saw Samuel standing in the most picturesque location surrounded by roses. I got out of the car, he got on his knee, and then I choked out a yes while crying tears of joy. Samuel hired a hidden photographer so after taking as many photos as Samuel's heart desired and popping some Champagne we headed to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse to celebrate with Tristan and Emma.

For me the planning of the proposal started earlier than I think Kaylyn realized. I chose the hard path of both choosing a ring and planning how I wanted to propose without Kaylyn’s input, the easy part was deciding I want to marry her. First came the ring and I thought that walking into Zales might have been the answer because the experts could help me, but honestly they left me underwhelmed. So I decided to look online and that involved becoming an expert on engagement rings(go ahead, quiz me). I settled on not having a store bought ring and instead having each piece designed myself on SolidWorks. It worked out for the most part because I found vendors that were used to the process and helped me with it. I ended up choosing a Radiant cut stone with a hidden halo setting and platinum band, which turned out to be perfect! With the ring being assembled and prepared by a jeweler I trusted, I then had to think about HOW to propose to Kaylyn. I knew what types of flowers she would love to see, how she had always wanted to feel, and what I wanted to say in the moment. I chose to do it on the field immediately next to the DTC area where we were both going to move and because the natural scenery has always been Kaylyn’s favorite. My best friend who I have known since middle school, Tristan, and his girlfriend Emma were willing to help me surprise her as well! So with everything pieced together I chose a specific date, told Kaylyn about “Emma’s party” that was on November 21st, and surprised her on one knee! Oh yeah, and she did say yes. P.S. Our life took a turn and instead of DTC we moved to Kansas City! I also had a hidden photographer take pictures of the proposal so if you want to see Kaylyn candidly that is a good album to check out.