Ryan and Maddie first started talking in fall of 2018 while Maddie was working towards her graduate degree at Butler University. After much convincing by Ryan, Maddie finally agreed to go on their first date at Union 50. Maddie thought it would be a quick bite to eat but boy was she wrong. They spent hours laughing and getting to know each other. From that point on, they have been practically inseparable.

Maddie and Ryan decided to plan a last minute trip to Sedona in April of 2021. They caught an early flight to Phoenix on the morning of the proposal. After eating brunch in Scottsdale, Ryan decided to take Maddie on a hike at Tom's Thumb. As they were just starting the hike at the first lookout, Ryan paused for a moment. Maddie, eager to make it to the top of the trail, started ahead. When she turned around, Ryan was still at the lookout. He asked Maddie to come back down, and when she did, he got down one knee and asked Maddie to marry him. Maddie was so surprised, she couldn't do much more than shake her head yes until she finally found the words. Yes!