The Apple Blossom Festival is an annual event in Winchester, Virginia (where Emilie grew up) that celebrates the beginning of springtime with a multitude of festivities. In 2022, Emilie was asked to be a princess in the Apple Blossom Festival. Every year, the festival asks Cadets from the Virginia Military Institute to escort the princesses to various parties and events throughout the weekend. One week before Apple Blossom 2022 kicked off, Seth was a senior, days away from graduating, and was asked to lead the group of Cadets to the festival. Before the events began, the princesses and escorts were required to attend a rehearsal event. The princesses got onto a bus taking everyone from the hotel to the venue. As the Cadets loaded the bus, Emilie noticed Seth immediately. She turned to the girls around her and half-jokingly and said "That one is mine, nobody talk to him". As the weekend went on, Emilie and Seth got to know each other during various events. After the festivities wrapped up on Saturday, the VMI Cadets headed back to Lexington, VA. The next day, Emilie was getting ready to drive back to Penn State to finish out her final exams when she received a text message from Seth. He had driven back to the Winchester area and wanted to meet up! They went out for coffee before heading back to their respective schools and the rest was history. After they finished up finals, they went on their first official date to Bears Den Overlook. They went to the overlook and a stranger took their first photo together with the breathtaking view of the Shenandoah Valley. Neither one knowing that 3 years later they would get engaged in the exact same spot. Seth and Emilie made their relationship official on July 8, 2022!