It was early summer in 2017 and southeastern Wisconsin was preparing to host the US Golf Open for the first time. They were in need of people to work security for the event. Separately, Katie and Brandon both applied, not sure if it was something either of them would actually follow through with or not. The time of the event came and the golf course filled with professionals and excited fans. Katie and Brandon, both equally clueless about golf, showed up and were assigned to keep watch over the players' lounge. On the second day of the event, a storm forced everyone inside and, as the security crew was waiting to return to their posts, Brandon noticed Katie across the room. On his way over to introduce himself, he was snagged by their supervisor and sent out into the rain. Bummer for him. Luckily, he didn't give up. Later that night, while waiting for the shuttle to take them back to the parking lot, Brandon made his way over to Katie and made some small talk. Katie remembers thinking, "I've got to talk to that cute guy with the lighthouse tattoo again tomorrow." Tomorrow came, and Brandon was on water duty. You can bet that Katie was never in need of water, as Brandon was checking in about every 5 minutes as an excuse to talk to her. Their supervisor sent them on lunch together and Brandon invited Katie out for dinner with the rest of the crew after work that night. They exchanged numbers, stayed in touch after the event ended, and the rest is history.

Saturday, January 11 was a sunny and not terribly cold day. It also happened to be Brandon and Katie's date day, and it was Brandon's turn to plan it. He took Katie to their favorite diner in Eau Claire for milkshakes and burgers and then told Katie to get bundled up. Their next stop was Mt. Simon, a cliff that has an overlook of the river and the city. Mt Simon is one of their favorite hiking spots in the city and they hadn't been in a while. Katie was suspicious, as it is pretty unusual to go for a hike in January, but she went along with it. When the two got to the top of the cliff and were looking over the city, Brandon got down on one knee and... tied his shoe. Katie laughed and rolled her eyes and Brandon felt relieved that her suspicions about the day were gone. They moved on from the cliff and headed to a birch tree that they had carved their initials into on their first trip to Mt. Simon. It's cheesy, but it is a sweet reminder of their time together. Brandon once again got down on one knee and Katie laughed, thinking he was about to tie his other shoe. This time, however, Brandon pulled out the most beautiful ring and (after many "are you serious!?" questions) Katie said yes!!