Welcome to our wedding website!

Lucas and Kate's story was two weeks away from not happening at all. They met through the dating app "Hinge"--Kate's age range was set 7 years ahead to 31 and Lucas's 7 years behind to 24. Lucas saw Kate's profile on August 10--the date of the derecho in Iowa and just 2 weeks from his 32nd birthday, and was immediately smitten with her dark hair, bright blue eyes, and denim jacket. Kate, however, was unimpressed with Lucas, having swiped left on him before on Tinder. The beauty of Hinge, however, allowed Lucas to display his wit with his profile and the option to comment on Kate's profile as a way to show interest. Having always been of the mind that 'the beauty is in the simplicity', he commented one word on his favorite photo of her: Bonnie. *red heart emoji* Those of you who've seen Braveheart, watched Outlander, or spent any time in Scotland or around Scottish people know that "bonnie" means 'pretty' or 'beautiful'. Thankfully, Kate was unaware and curious enough to respond: Bonnie? They talked for a couple of days after that and decided to meet for their first date at Uptown Garage Brewing Co in Ankeny, IA for some live music, a couple of pints, and some conversation. After 3 hours that felt like three minutes, they both recognized something special in the other, and they decided to continue. They met next at Exile Brewing Company. Lucas had a gig booked that afternoon and Kate convinced some friends to go with her to watch him perform for the first time. Fortunately, he wasn’t terrible, and she got some practice recruiting an audience for him, which is something she has become quite proficient at. This occasion also provided the inspiration for the name of their adorable pup, Ruthie. A few more dates went by, and Kate and Lucas could tell this was quickly turning into a relationship that could have some legs. They were surprised at how easy everything seemed and delighted about every new thing they were learning about each other. A particularly memorable evening was Lucas’ 32nd birthday. She discovered Lucas’ love of good food, and he discovered that he loved her–though he thought it prudent to wait a few months before letting her know. That evening, they had an important conversation. After only knowing each other for 2 weeks they talked about the future and Lucas’ ‘very real’ plans to move to Kansas the following summer. She let him know that she was not opposed to moving for the right person. And so yet again…they decided to continue. Months pass by full of the normal firsts and surprises of any new relationship–meeting each others’ friends and family, getting COVID and quarantining together, the usual stuff. Kate decided to look for new career opportunities and expanded her search to both remote positions and those in the Kansas area, just in case. In March, she was offered a remote position in HR. She accepted the position, started a new job, and they began planning for their new life in the Sunflower State. They moved to KS in June and spent the summer settling-in, exploring Lawrence, and traveling almost every weekend to gigs, weddings, and to visit friends and family. The aforementioned Ruthie joined the family in August, and Lucas started his very time-intensive job at KU two days later. The next few months were a literal whirlwind with both of them in new jobs, a new state, and with a puppy–but through the struggles grew closer than ever and started to talk, yet again, about the future. On December 14, 2021–with a little help from his friends Danielle and Christine–Lucas ‘surprised’ Kate with a proposal at Lincoln Park in Chicago. He asked her if she wanted to ‘continue’...and she said yes! And then asked if he was sure. He shed a single, manly tear (she saved her tears for later that evening), and they all shared a bottle of fantastic champagne while shivering and enjoying the sight of the Chicago skyline. They will officially tie the proverbial knot on June 18, in Pella, IA.