Lauren and Will met back in the Fall of 2019 when they were both starting school at UW–Eau Claire. Lauren was hanging out in the Towers North lobby studying for a chemistry test with Will’s roommate and some friends. Every few minutes, Will would wander out to “fill up his water bottle". Later, he admitted he really just wanted to see Lauren and would even ask his roommate about her. Before long, their friend groups overlapped and by the end of freshman year, Lauren and Will had become good friends. Fast forward a year, both of them ended up living in the same apartment building. Since they already shared the same circle of friends, they were constantly running into each other. Eventually, they started hanging out just the two of them: going for walks, playing video games, and studying together. At first, they kept it in the “just friends” zone… until Will finally asked Lauren out. Their first date was watching the sunrise at Mt. Simon followed by coffee. Will was so nervous he woke up an hour before his alarm (anyone who knows him knows that’s basically unheard of, because mornings are not his thing). After that, it didn’t take long before they were basically glued at the hip. They spent almost all their time together, whether it was just the two of them or with their friends. Over the years they’ve gone through a lot side by side: doing long distance, finishing college, moving into new apartments, making it through Lauren’s PT school, traveling together, and planning a wedding! All of those obstacles and memories only made their relationship stronger. What started as a water bottle excuse in a dorm lobby turned into lifelong friendship, love, and now, a lifetime together.