We FINALLY met the night before our orientation for dental school at Bar Louie in Milwaukee. A classmate had organized a class get together because it was dollar burger night, so we were all going to meet each other. Ever since we both had been accepted to Marquette and joined the Facebook group for our class, Mitch thought Madeline was gorgeous, but with one caveat — she had a boyfriend. We both remember the moment so vividly. Mitch thought that Madeline was even more beautiful in person and Madeline convinced herself that Mitch wasn’t that cute because she had a boyfriend, but the spark was too obvious to ignore. We felt like old friends during our first meeting together, and the sparks continued to fly during orientation, but we didn’t spend much time together during our first year because Madeline was in a relationship and Mitch wanted to focus on school. It wasn’t until the beginning of our spring semester of D2 year, when school was getting “easier” and Madeline was single that we started spending more time together. All semester long we went on dates that we swore weren’t ACTUALLY dates, because Madeline was sick of boys and Mitch was still focusing on schoolwork to no avail. We were trying to convince ourselves that we were just friends who would casually go to dinner together and talk for hours, but nothing more. However, as we all know now, that just wasn’t true, which leads into when we became more than friends at last...

Time for another “casual” date! This time, a breakfast date at our favorite breakfast place in Milwaukee, Sweet Diner. Madeline didn’t eat much of what she ordered, either because she had a stomach ache or because she had something she had to get off her chest. And yeah, it was the latter. After months of being just friends and agreeing that neither of us wanted a relationship right now, Madeline finally had enough of this charade and told Mitch that she was ready to start dating again, which in hindsight seems like a pretty obvious nudge, right? Not to Mitch though, as he replied with a simple “Cool, good luck with that”. What a loser. About a week went by, and Madeline had started hanging out with a fourth year student that was about to graduate. We went to church together one Sunday and met up with Mitch’s friends Pat and Kellie for coffee, then instead of spending time together, Madeline said she probably shouldn’t be spending one on one time with Mitch if she was seeing the other guy. Mitch reluctantly agreed, and dropped Madeline off at her apartment to get ready for her date. In full-on panic mode, Mitch got back to his place and called his mom, like any lovestruck guy would do, and told her that he didn’t like this feeling and that it didn’t feel right. His brilliant mom told him that he had to express how he felt. Mitch texted Madeline’s roommate Erin and asked her to fake sick or do whatever Erin could to get Madeline home. However, Madeline never looks at her phone when she’s with people, and didn’t see the messages until later. The next day Mitch and Madeline went to the Central Mall at Marquette at Mitch’s request, so that he could tell her that he messed up, but understood if he was too late. He had to get it off his chest. The next day, a text came from Madeline to meet her at the beach after she ended things with the other guy, so that she could tell Mitch she was all his :)

The day before the proposal, Mitch and Madeline went on their first camping trip to Willow River State Park in Hudson, WI. While they were on the camping trip, the rest of the Carney family was flying into Minneapolis to join in the celebration. After killing time all day, Mitch and Madeline left the campgrounds for his cabin in Cumberland, WI just in time for the sunset. When they got there, they headed down to the dock to watch the sunset, and Mitch had the ring in his pocket. They got down there and Madeline sat down on the end of the dock (SHE WASN’T SUPPOSED TO SIT DOWN, THINGS WERE NOT GOING ACCORDING TO PLAN) so Mitch sat down beside her. While they were watching the sunset, Mitch started saying the words to the song “Right Now, Forever”, a song written by one of Mitch’s best friends and groomsmen, Lawrence Pruitt, who had been hiding in the garage. After Mitch had said the first verse, Lawrence emerged from his hiding spot in the bushes and started playing his guitar and singing the chorus from the shore, completely surprising Madeline. Mitch and Madeline stood up and turned around to listen to Lawrence play the song written about a perfect moment, which is exactly what it was. While they were turned around listening to him, the Beinlich and Carney families were pulling up behind them on the “Swoon Pontoon”, outfitted with signs, noisemakers, and an inflatable ring slightly bigger than the one in Mitch’s pocket. After Lawrence was done, Madeline turned around to Mitch on his knee, where he told her that she is the most perfect and amazing woman in the world, and that nothing would make him happier than having her as his wife. Rumor has it that she said yes, but neither of them remember the moment very clearly (too many nerves, tears and emotions flying around). The families docked the boat and a wild celebration ensued, just like the wild celebration that will be taking place on June 5th, 2021! So wear a mask, socially distance and we’ll party again!