We're Getting Married!

For the love of hockey! While attending Grand Valley State University, a mutual friend invited both of them to a Grand Rapids Griffins hockey game. They both thought of each other as being cute but didn't think they were in each others league. After the game they watched the Winter Olympics late into the night. As the early morning hours approached they parted ways, but not before Kelly asked for Greg's number. They started to get to know each other better on the Sunday editions of The Walking Dead TV series while eating ice cream (Kelly didn't even care about the show she just wanted an excuse to hang out with her cute new crush). Besides, nothing beats hot chocolate chip cookies (fresh out of the oven) on top of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream!

One Saturday when Greg was working in Whitehall, Kelly attached a poster to the front door of his apartment. It was a fill-in-the-blank puzzle that once filled out read, " Will you go to ASA formal with me?" Kelly anxiously waited all day for Greg to text her back after seeing the surprise. His response was YES! When the day came around, Kelly drank an entire bottle of Moscato herself while getting ready (someone was a little nervous!) Greg picked her up and drove to the sorority house where everyone boarded the bus to the venue. Kelly was the sisterhood chairman, so after dinner she had to announce awards for 80+ sisters. She kept saying beforehand, I'm sober enough for this right?! It all turned out wonderful and they danced the night away! Afterwards, they just sat up and talked about school, life, & their futures. They couldn't imagine their future without one another being in it, so they decided to make things official! A few weeks later Greg's first test for Kelly had finally come- a 16 mile paddling trip at the end of April on the Sturgeon River just outside Wolverine. As the two drove to the river, the rain turned to snow as the temperature hung around a damp 32 degrees. It had been a long snow filled winter that year, with the snow melt the river was running much higher than normal and the dead-fall hadn't been cleared yet from the river for the upcoming summer season. As Greg helped Kelly launch her kayak into the river he couldn't help but wonder how'd she fair despite the less than ideal conditions for someone who was new paddling. Nevertheless, without thinking twice about it he gave her kayak a thrust and she was launched into the river. Fast forward 6 hours and only 8 miles later, Kelly had flipped twice and both times had to drag her boat ashore and change into dry clothes behind a bush. Remarkably she was smiling the whole time! It was at this point that Greg realized that Kelly could possibly be the one. And well, the rest is history....

After rescheduling a family weekend in Ludington from 2 years prior (Kelly came down with pneumonia), the Quante's made it to the west side of the state. On Saturday both families set out on a beach hike from the Ludington State Park beach house to the Big Sable Lighthouse. On the journey back , Greg took Kelly by the hand and talked about their future lives with one another as they continued to walk down the beach dreaming what the future had in store. He then stopped her in her tracks, grabbed both of her hands and got down on one knee. In front of both families he then asked her those four words that nearly every woman aspires to hear in their life. "Will you marry me?" Kelly without hesitation said "YES"! She was so excited she unknowingly put the ring on her wrong finger- but she didn't even care. Both families were watching and witnessed this amazing moment there on the beach. For this spot that was chosen because of how much love Kelly has for Lake Michigan and it's pure white sandy beaches, and it's a spot they'll continue to visit every year going forward.