Ben and Kaitlyn first met on December 31st, 2019 at a New Year’s Eve party thrown by mutual friend Katie (New Year’s Eve also happens to be Katie’s birthday). The two hit it off when they teamed up to play beer pong against their friends. They also bonded over their mutual love for football, although it was immediately contentious as Ben is a Buffalo Bills fan and Kait is a Dallas Cowboys fan. Nevertheless, the two connected and decided to go on a date the following week. In spite of the COVID-19 pandemic starting just 3 months into their relationship, and living an hour away from each other while Kait was finishing her Master’s degree, the couple made it a priority to be present for each other. Since their first meeting, Ben and Kait have spent the past 4 years growing their relationship. Ben has introduced Kait to new hobbies such as playing disc golf, hiking, and camping. They have also visited many new places together while in the pursuit of finding new disc golf courses to play at, and visiting Ben’s family in California and New York. In July 2023, Ben and Kait took a huge step by buying their first house together, and they could not be happier in their new home. This past October, Ben and Kait returned to California to attend the wedding of Ben’s brother and now sister-in-law, Matt and Quinsea. After that beautiful wedding, the couple spent a few days in Napa Valley to enjoy the scenery and of course sample the wine. On the final day of their vacation, Ben convinced Kait to join him on a hike on Mount Saint Helena. Several times during their hike, Kait was pushed nearly to quitting (she is still a novice hiker and was terrified of encountering snakes on the trail), but Ben encouraged her to keep going with the promise of a view. Once they finally reached a clearing near the top exposing a grand view of Napa Valley below them, Ben got down on one knee and asked Kait to marry him. The couple is so excited to be planning the rest of their life together, and they cannot wait to celebrate their wedding day with their family and friends!