Here we go... We met at our mutual best friend’s wedding in Napa Valley—arguably the most romantic setting to meet someone. Kelsey already knew all the groomsmen except one: Collin. So, she made it her mission that night to get to know him. Collin was instantly captivated—he thought Kelsey was the most beautiful person he’d ever seen and was drawn to her bubbly personality. We spent the entire evening talking and dancing, and quickly realized how much we had in common. However, there was just one issue... Collin lived in Denver and Kelsey lived in Houston. After Kelsey’s dad, Ed Corrigan (if you don’t know him already, you will within the first hour of arriving…), broke his leg, Kelsey suddenly found herself without Thanksgiving plans. Meanwhile, Collin had mapped out a trip to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks over the long weekend. By chance, those parks had always been on Kelsey’s bucket list. When Collin heard about her change of plans, he invited her to join. Kelsey was hesitant—traveling across the country with someone who was still more acquaintance than friend felt like a big leap. But after asking their mutual friend Hunter for advice, and receiving his two-word response—“full send”—she decided to go. The rest, as they say, is history. From there, we navigated a long distance relationship between Texas and Colorado. During this time, we embarked on many hikes, trips, and events with friends and family. A few instances hinted that it may be the real deal. Collin had a blast teaching Kelsey's co-residents how to make dumplings, visiting music festivals with Kelsey's med school friends, and traveling to Kelsey's cabin in Estes Park with her family. Kelsey adored the doggie play dates, many BBQs, and river tubing with Collin's friends, and loved meeting Collin's family at an Illenium concert. We even survived an episode of Collin's infamous tree nut allergy while traveling in Bali... So, after a year and a half, we took a leap and moved across the country together with Collin's dog, Koda, who quickly also became Kelsey's dog. We settled in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where we have had a blast building our life together over the past year. Now on to the proposal... This story is a funny one! Collin had planned a picture-perfect proposal during a hiking trip in the French Alps. The idea was to pop the question during a romantic walk through a park after a day of hiking. But, as with all great stories, nothing went exactly as planned. The hike took much longer than expected, and by the time we reached the end, Kelsey was feeling queasy after a winding bus ride back to our chalet. Pressed for time, Collin suspiciously managed to convince her to rally, shower, and head out for a “casual” evening walk. He led her to a charming park where he had originally planned to propose… only to find it completely fenced off for construction. Thinking on his feet, Collin walked us a bit further—only to have the surprise photographer he’d hired accidentally blow his cover by introducing himself before the proposal happened. After a few detours and a lot of improvising, Collin finally began expressing his love and dropped to one knee in front of a stunning mountain backdrop. Kelsey’s sister, who had been hiding nearby, popped out to celebrate and record the moment. Shortly after, the rest of our hiking group joined us with some champagne, and the night of celebrations began! The one thing that did go as planned? Kelsey said yes! Now, let's get this party started!