Rikta took a trip down to Austin over Labor Day weekend in 2019 to visit some friends who also happened to be Connor’s friends. Connor picked everyone up in his car to go to brunch, said hi to the cute out-of-town visitor, and within 5 minutes she was hitting smooth dance moves in the back seat of his car to a certain T-Pain jam. Instantly hooked, he just had to get to know this quick-talking beauty with a charming midwestern twang, and they spent the rest of the day dancing and partying their way through Austin. Rikta loved hanging out with Connor so much that she flew back to her home in Rhode Island the very next morning … but not before he got her number! Their first FaceTime, which lasted 7 hours, could probably be considered their first date, but Rikta also had some free airline credits burning a hole in her pocket, and Connor was more than happy to use them. The rest is history!

Connor knew that he wanted to propose to Rikta in her home state. So when Rikta's best friend, Chelsea, invited them up to stay with her in Traverse City, he knew that his opportunity had come. At this point, Rikta was getting a little impatient. They had just gone to Martha's Vineyard and a few months before that, Maui! Alas, a ring had failed to materialize in both locations, and Rikta started to wonder when Connor was going to man up! While at dinner in Traverse City, Connor arranged to have Chelsea suggest that they go see the Mission Point Lighthouse which was close by. Rikta was all for it. Once there, the trio walked down the beach for bit, right past the photographer that Connor had secretly hired. Finding a pretty spot overlooking Lake Michigan, Connor first took pictures of Chelsea and Rikta looking out to the water and then Connor asked Chelsea to take pictures of him and Rikta doing the same thing. Facing the water, and then each other, Connor told Rikta how he couldn't imagine his life without her and then got down on one knee. At some point, Rikta choked out a YES through many many happy tears :)