We both attended Mattawan High School, class of 2020. The romance sparks weren't yet officially flying, but the friendship fire was burning. From using student government as an excuse to skip class and wander the halls together to teasing each other in AP Statistics, and the best powderpuff coach and player relationship that high school has seen to this day, we never had a dull moment even as friends. When COVID stopped us from going to college, we stayed in touch. Telling each other stories, comparing virtual MSU professors, and wishing it was possible to connect on our campus. Finally, at the start of our junior year at Michigan State, we reconnected when Sam and his best man Caleb graced the Campus Village girls (Abby, Lili, Lauren, and Hannah) with their presence after a church event, and we were able to reconnect in-person. From the first moments we spent together, it was clear we would never be distant friends again. From then on, we were friends, and in no time, best friends. Our relationship was the same as any platonic friendship: spending every day together, staying up until 1am watching Game of Thrones together, going out to dinner and movies where Sam paid for everything, meeting Sam’s grandparents at a family event, getting each other spontaneous gifts…yeah the usual friend stuff. We finally got over ourselves, as our family and friends all predicted we would, and started dating on May 10th, 2023. We spent our first summer long distance at internships and FaceTimed for hours every day. When finally back at school, our routine from the last year had barely changed, yet this time we said out loud the obvious, that we spent all day every day together because we loved each other. Our relationship only grew from there, and we were by each others’ side for everything. From Abby’s completion of her undergraduate and graduate degrees, another long-distance summer during Sam's mission trip in India, celebrating Sam’s graduation in Supply Chain Management, navigating our first corporate jobs, and in April 2025, moving in together in Saint Joseph, MI. Sam proposed in September of 2025, and we are now extremely happily engaged, and very excited to start our life together. We are so incredibly blessed by every single family member and friend who has loved and supported us through our relationship. We’re can't wait to celebrate, eat, drink, and dance with everyone on August 15th, 2026!