We're Getting Married!

It’s March 2019 and two Metro-Detroiters find themselves ascending on Seattle to work at Brooks Running HQ; it was new life adventure for both. Little did they know their lives would change forever. Kerstyn came to Seattle after stops in Indiana, Alabama, and San Diego, California. With a Bachelor’s in Clinical Exercise Science, and Masters in Biomechanics, Brooks seemed like the perfect place to land. Ben came to Seattle via Chicago, where he worked as a Guru (tech rep) for Brooks. He was familiar with the company and was ready for his next move with the company – Event Marketing. Fast forward a few months, and after a few chance encounters at Brooks HQ, Ben knew he wanted to hang out with Kerstyn outside of work and luckily, he wouldn’t have to wait long. In June 2019, the Michigan Baseball Team was in the College World Series and several Brooks employees were going to out to the bar to watch the game. Despite Ben being a Michigan State grad, he attended. After the game, Ben decided he wanted to have another drink and asked if anybody else was interested in staying later and to his luck Kerstyn was the only person that said sure. The two had another drink and sat and talked for a while and it was like they knew each other their entire lives. Fast forward again, and after continuing to hang out in groups, Ben and Kerstyn had their first date – they went to the Woodland Park Zoo. A few days after that, July 16, 2019, to be exact, Ben asked Kerstyn to be his girlfriend. She said yes, and as they say, the rest is history.

Florida. Beaches. Sunshine. Warm Weather. What more can you ask for on the day you’re going to ask your best friend to marry you? It was March 9, 2022, and Ben and Kerstyn were vacationing in Naples, FL with Kerstyn’s family. Everyone on the trip knew how big of a day it was except for Kerstyn – including Ben’s parents who were going to surprise her late that night. It has been a long time coming as Ben knew from the very beginning that he was going to ask Kerstyn to marry him. Were there other times that he could’ve asked, yes? But Ben knew that Florida was the right place to pop the question because it was the place they’d first vacationed together – Christmas, 2019 – so it had special meaning. The beach at sunset? The time and place Kerstyn has been enjoying vacation sunsets her whole life. After receiving Jim and Mary Jo’s (Kerstyn’s parents) blessing while home for the holidays, the planning began. Over the next few months Ben secretly talked with his parents and Kerstyn’s parents to make sure everything was perfect. After eating dinner everyone got ready to head down the Vanderbilt Beach to watch the sunset. Within a few minutes of arriving at Vanderbilt Beach, Ben asked Mary Jo to take a picture of Kerstyn and Him while his parents hid behind the bushes. Once Mary Jo snapped a few pictures, Ben turned to Kerstyn and asked her if she would make him the luckiest man alive. And that's how we get here!