Mutual friends introduced us at an Oktoberfest celebration in Minneapolis! We quickly realized we both attended UW Madison at the same time, but (to our knowledge) had never met. Our interest in each other must've been obvious because thirty minutes into the evening, Neal's friend turned to me and said, "you're looking at your future husband." We spent the rest of the evening talking and laughing, and I eventually drove Neal home. Of course, anyone who knows this story knows it ends with Neal sprawling on the hood of my car, begging me to stay a little longer. Who says cheesy romantic gestures don't work??

Neal planned a weekend getaway to Door County, WI. Considering this was the first vacation he had ever taken charge of planning, I was already suspicious! We went hiking at Peninsula State Park and the trail was packed. I knew that IF Neal was going to propose that day, he wasn't going to do it in front of a bunch of strangers in the woods. A little while into the hike, we realized we were no longer on a dedicated trail- Neal maintains this was unintentional, but I'm still not convinced... As we wandered, we stumbled upon a secluded section of beach. Thankfully he convinced me to climb down the rocky slope to the water's edge. After taking a moment to soak in the view he pulled the ring out of his pocket, got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. We were dripping sweat and standing on a disintegrated pool noodle, but it was perfect!