Austin and Katie met at Trappers Sushi in Covington, WA. Katie had been working there as she was finishing her Bachelor's Degree and Austin had just moved into town for his new teaching job at Kentlake High School.

Katie and Austin were engaged on the 30th of December in 2021 at Schweitzer Mountain Resort near Sandpoint, Idaho. For Katie, the plans were merely a skiing trip with Austin’s brother and sister-in-law who live near the area. Little did she know that her whole family as well as Austin’s family made the trip to witness and celebrate the proposal. The total of sixteen family members were secretly onlooking from the nearby restaurant’s window as Katie and Austin skied down the mountain for their last run of the day, where dropped to one knee. Katie was so much in shock during the event that her initial thought was, “Is this really happening?” and “Does my mom know?” Soon, the couple was surrounded by many loved ones, a ring around the finger and Katie, with two skis still attached to her feet. The Idaho ski trip will be one to remember as the couple looks to make new memories on their wedding day.