Heather and Ted bumped into each other at a party on May 4th, 2019. The only reason Ted ended up with Heather’s number was because of the matchmaking of our good friend Sarah Hughes. Throughout the party, Sarah made sure Ted and Heather bumped into each other enough times to make sure they caught each other’s eye. A week later on their first date, Heather showed up in a Hawaiian shirt and never heard the end of it. Ted thought Heather was too nice and wasn’t so sure of her yet. Heather, on the other hand, was already extremely impressed and thought their first date went perfectly. Getting a second date on the calendar was a challenge. There were multiple reschedules and work shift swaps. A few weeks after their first date, Ted and Heather finally met up again at an art museum downtown. They enjoyed perusing the gallery, debating terminology such as public transportation vs. public transit, and getting to know each other better over dinner. During the “post-date,” Heather led Ted on an impromptu two-hour walk around Grand Rapids in search of the cure for onion breath: gum. The conversation and Heather’s adventurous spirit pulled Ted in. He was enamored from that point on.

Throughout the next two years, Ted and Heather learned to love and support one another and knew they wanted to spend their lives together. Ted, being the planner that he is, gave Heather a timeline for when he would propose. After looking at rings together and months passing by with no engagement, Heather was getting antsy. Meanwhile, Ted had been patiently waiting for the perfect time to pop the question. Finding the perfect spot and planning the perfect celebrations took time. Eventually, things aligned and Ted proposed to Heather on March 6th, 2021. Heather said yes! Ted planned a full weekend of mini celebrations for their engagement, complete with a surprise party with Heather’s family, a brunch with Heather’s best friends, and even gifted her a waffle maker (to date, her favorite part of the whole thing. Just kidding). Heather and Ted are so excited to celebrate their future lives together and look forward to seeing all of their loved ones in the same place on their special day.