It's a classic love story: girl walks into a wine shop and sees the most beautiful guy she's ever seen. Guy sees girl and thinks the same. They spend the next six years making small talk and casually flirting over cases of specialty cheeses until the stars finally aligned and Ben slid into Val's Instagram DM's to ask her out to coffee. It's a tale as old as time!

Ben popped the question on the shores of Lake Superior while we were on our annual trip to Marquette. It had been a gloomy day, but the sun came out just in time for the proposal. It was a perfect moment at a place that has become so special to us both.

Surprise...we eloped! With Francis on the way and unsure of when we would be able to celebrate with our loved ones, we decided that we didn't want to go another day of not being married. So on December 8, 2023, we snuck away to the Holland courthouse and privately eloped. Now, we are so excited to share the joy of our marriage with all of you -- our favorite people -- at our wedding!