We're Getting Married!

Like many modern love stories, ours began with a swipe. We matched on Tinder while we were both students (and an athlete) at the University of Iowa. At some point, there was a conversation about our shared love for Grey’s Anatomy, which became the theme of our very first date on October 10, 2019. Just a few months later, the world shut down. In March 2020—after knowing each other for only five months—we decided to take a leap and move in together (in a house he shared with three of his gymnastics teammates). Despite the uncertainty of that time, it ended up being one of the most fun and memorable seasons of our relationship and lives. The following February, Sydney adopted her first cat, Ivy, officially starting what would become our little family. In May 2021, after Kulani graduated, we moved to Rochester, MN. Sydney began nursing school at the University of Minnesota, and Kulani started working at Mayo Clinic as a Research Technologist. That December, we added a second cat, Sage, to our lives. Between late-night study sessions, busy workdays, and a lot of support for one another, we made it through nursing school together. Sydney graduated in May 2024, and soon after, we moved into a townhome with a close friend, Jake. Naturally, a third cat, Fern, joined the crew that summer. By then, Sydney had started her nursing career in the Pediatric ICU at Mayo Clinic, and Kulani transitioned into his role as a Clinical Lab Technologist in the molecular hematology lab. With life settling into a new rhythm, October 2024 rolled around—our five-year anniversary. Kulani had carefully designed the ring of Sydney’s dreams while Sydney (not-so-patiently) wondered when the big moment would finally happen. On October 12, 2024, five years and two days after our very first date, Kulani proposed in a sunflower field during a spur-of-the-moment pumpkin patch trip to Northwoods Orchard. It was perfectly us—simple, sweet, and unforgettable. And now, here we are, so excited to begin our next chapter as husband and wife!