Hey! Thanks for stopping by. We are so excited to celebrate with you all - see you at the altar!

We met in high school AP statistics class in 2014. However we didn't think much of each other and only spoke when it concerned homework. Fast forward to January of 2016. Jake texted me and asked me if I was in town... Oddly enough I had his phone number saved. I figured he had messaged the wrong person and said as much in my text back to him. After clarifying that he was indeed meaning to contact me we exchanged some texts and decided to meet up. A few days later we met at the State Hospital Grounds in Traverse City to walk our family dogs, Addy and Oliver. We walked and talked and laughed and reminisced about high school. It was not love at first sight though. We hardly knew each other and this was our first time really talking to one another. I am not sure what it was about that day but luckily we both agreed to hang out again, and again, and again. Slowly we got to know each other better and realized how well we got along. It was easy and fun and the conversations never seemed to dull. That was over 7 years ago now and here we are planning our wedding! What a crazy thing that one random text Jake sent turned into.

Jake and I had been talking about marriage for years. We always tried to have intentional conversations and keep our expectations and wants very apparent when it came to having a life together. We had picked out the engagement ring together in February 2022, I knew when he bought it, and I knew where it was kept in our home. Several months later when we went up north to Glen Arbor for Memorial Day weekend I had my suspicions about a possible proposal. I had been in school the past several months and this was the first time in a while we had left the Detroit area. I, of course, peaked in the drawer where the ring was kept right before we got in the car to head north. I saw the purple velvet box sitting where it always does. So I completely dropped the idea of getting engaged that weekend. It was another normal night at the cottage. We had family dinner and Chandler, Quincy, Jake, and I went into Glen Arbor to get ice cream and then go to the sand dunes for sunset. Something we have done a countless number of times. Once at the top of the sand dunes, we took a few photos. While Jake and I were positioning ourselves the wind was whipping my hair all over the place. I jokingly mumbled under my breath so that only Jake could hear, "I am going to hate these photos". Jake laughed and awkwardly said, "well I hope you don't hate this one" as he knelt down and held up my engagement ring. I have no idea what he said after that as I was too stunned to hear. I took a step back, nearly taking a tumble down the sand dune. Jake had been carrying my engagement ring around in his pocket ALL DAY... no box, no zip lock baggy, just a ring in his front pocket without a zipper! It was an obvious yes and Chandler and Quincy got to be just as surprised as I was. Jake had kept the whole thing a secret. We spent some time at the dunes soaking it in before heading back to the cottage and telling my parents.