We’re getting married!

Haley’s mom, Leonora, actually met Mike before Haley did. Leonora went shopping at Dave’s Marketplace, where Haley worked but had taken the summer off to work full time at a summer camp. Mike was working at Dave’s Marketplace at the time Leonora had visted. She needed help finding an item on her shopping list when she bumped into the very friendly Mike in his chef uniform. Knowing he worked there because of this uniform, she asked for assistance and he helped her find her item. Leonora then asked Mike if he worked in the pizza department, knowing that Haley would be returning shortly to her position there. When he said yes and told her he was the manager, she told him that her daughter Haley would be starting back soon. Mike said he was looking forward to meeting her. Haley went into Dave’s Marketplace the following week to get her schedule for her return to the pizza department. Mike was not there at this time, but instead a coworker Haley already knew. So Haley asked this coworker about Mike and how he was as a boss. The coworker told Haley that Mike was very mean and controlling (not what you expected, right?). Haley was now nervous to begin work and meet her “mean” boss. Well, a year and a half later, she and this mean guy would go on their first date! Haley obviously did not think Mike was mean at all, but actually a very fair boss. The coworker that disliked him was, let’s just say, not the best worker, and Mike would address her missteps, as any boss should. Nonetheless, it took months for Mike & Haley to even have a regular conversation because Haley was a little intimidated of Mike for awhile based on the coworker’s comments. Once the two began speaking more, they became friends as well as coworkers for the next year, talking more & more. They even collaborated on making some positive changes within their department at work. Finally, when Haley was getting ready to leave Dave’s for good, the two bonded over many similarities, laughed a ton together, and got even closer. They went on their first date shortly after Haley left to begin working for a different company. Five years later, here we are!

Funny story— the proposal was actually supposed to be on 10/26, but Haley’s love for Hayley Williams of Paramore actually changed the plans for Mike a bit and pushed the proposal to the next day… Mike and Haley were on vacation in Nashville, Tennessee. Mike had planned a day to rent a car and drive a couple of hours outside the city to hike at Fall Creek Falls, a beautiful waterfall in Spencer, TN. Hayley Williams of Paramore was opening a hair salon in her hometown of Nashville, and it was announced just days before that the opening was going to be happening while Haley & Mike were in Nashville. With some sleuthing, Mike found the location of the salon before it was available, and, it was directly around the corner from their airbnb. (Like, they could see the salon from where they were staying. What are the odds?!) Only problem was that the opening day was… Yes, the same day Mike had chosen for the hike two hours away. Haley began panicking that she’d miss Hayley Williams if they went on this hike so, they pushed it to the next day. Hayley Williams did not end up showing up at the salon, in case you were wondering. Mike had planned a nice expensive dinner/wine tasting experience at a super fancy restaurant for the night of the 26th, intending to celebrate the engagement that did not end up happening that day as planned. He panicked and tried letting the restaurant know not to mention it, since now it was happening tomorrow. Luckily, they got the hint when they didn’t see a ring on Haley’s finger, and the servers never brought it up. 10/27/22… they arrive to Fall Creek Falls only to find that the massive drought that year had turned the roaring waterfall into more of a trickle. Mike seemed very upset about the lesser beauty of the falls. Haley did not know why, until, upon hiking to the bottom of the waterfall, he got down on one knee. Haley was shocked and excitedly said yes at what was still an absolutely gorgeous location. Being it was the fall season, the leaves were all sorts of colors and the weather was gorgeous. The two walked around the area for hours after the proposal soaking in the moment. They then stopped at a hole-in-the-wall southern BBQ place on the drive back to Nashville that was delicious, went to a Predators hockey game, ate dinner at a dive bar, walked to a liquor store to buy champagne, and celebrated back at the airbnb. While not the fancy dinner Mike had planned for 10/26, the day of 10/27 was absolutely perfect.