Tinder. There are many things that come to mind when that dating site is brought up, but for Kirsten and Ron, that’s where it all started. A mutual “swipe right”, a quick hello from Ron, and the rest is history!

On February 10, 2017, Kirsten and Ron met for the first time at a Mexican restaurant. Over margaritas, beer, and free chips and salsa, conversation flowed which led to a late night bowling session (where Kirsten joked she wasn’t going to show up), and a goodnight hug. From that point on, Kirsten and Ron were inseparable.

On March 19, 2020, while the world was beginning to lock down due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Ron had something up his sleeve. The Tulip Festival was coming up in May, a hotel was booked, and, apparently, Ron had a plan. But, alas, in came COVID-19 and the Tulip Festival was cancelled, so Kirsten cancelled the hotel as well. The entire week leading up to the 19th, Ron had tried to get Kirsten to book a hotel over near Lake Michigan “so [they] could get away before the whole state shuts down.” But Kirsten, being the worrier, said no, that it wasn’t a good idea. The morning of the 19th, Ron made the plan that he and Kirsten were going to take a drive over to Caseville for a getaway. They stopped at the beach across from Sleeper State Park and walked the beach. Picking up shells and drift wood along the way, they shared in the sound of the waves and wind while on an empty beach (hello social distancing). Suddenly, Ron came up behind Kirsten, hugged her and said, “So you know you’re my best friend and I love you more than anything...” and got down on one knee and asked Kirsten to marry him! Shocked is not even the correct word to describe Kirsten’s emotions in that moment. Of course she said an ecstatic “YES!” while crying and in complete disbelief. It shows that even in the middle of a pandemic, love wins. Always.

The beautiful ring Ron got for Kirsten comes with a story. The diamond in the ring is something that is passed down to the eldest granddaughter in the Selley family. Knowing the setting didn’t fit Kirsten’s finger, Ron went to Kirsten’s parents and asked for her hand in marriage. After a resounding affirmation, Ron asked Kirsten’s parents to meet him and Ronnie at the local jewelry store in town and, all together, they found the perfect setting for Kirsten’s ring.