While there were many moments in Vanessa and Magdiel’s lives where they could have met sooner (Vanessa and Magdiel playing within the same community sports program called CDAA in their youth, both of them having an overlap in their high school friendship circle, and both being only 40 minutes away from each other when Vanessa went to the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and when Magdiel went to Winona State University), it wasn’t until the fall of 2020 the two met. Vanessa and Magdiel met how most modern-day couples meet, through a little-known dating app called Bumble. Both recently moved back home to live with their families, as Vanessa just graduated college and Magdiel closed his chapter in Winona due to the ongoing COVID pandemic that impacted all of us. Although Vanessa and Magdiel love their families very much, after living together in close quarters for a bit, they both longed for some social connections outside the house. Magdiel was drawn to Vanessa because she appeared to be fun and outgoing (the voluminous curly hair was a bonus for him), and Vanessa was drawn to Magdiel because he seemed to be sweet and down to earth (the picture of him wearing his Best Man suit was easy on the eyes, too). It was a match! It's more like a match x2 because Vanessa got cold feet when they initially matched and ghosted Magdiel, but fate or Bumble’s algorithm thought differently because they matched again! After some apologies on Vanessa’s end, the two quickly made plans for their first date, which was meeting at the middle of the Coon Rapids Regional Dam (Vanessa coming from the Coon Rapids side and Magdiel coming from the Brooklyn Park side) and later grabbing a bite to eat at El Toro in Champlin, MN. Their first date spot would later be used as inspiration for the anticipated proposal almost 4 years later.

Our proposal story truly began with an unexpected gift. Magdiel was hard at work at In Vino Veritas when a remarkably generous customer left a tip of over a thousand dollars! This incredible surprise couldn't have come at a better time, as Magdiel was secretly saving up for Vanessa's engagement ring. The hunt for the perfect ring was on. Magdiel's mom, Betty, offered a crucial tip on where to look, and his good friend Johan was right there, providing invaluable support and guidance as he made this significant choice. Magdiel was incredibly nervous and determined to get it just right, even seeking final approval from Abby, Mara, Alex, and Tess to ensure the ring was absolutely perfect. With the ring ready, the next step was to share the news with Vanessa's parents. The ideal opportunity arose when they invited Magdiel to join them on their boat at Lake Minnetonka. Magdiel, expecting a dramatic reaction as he showed them the ring, was met with an unexpected calm—they weren't fazed at all! It seems everyone had been patiently waiting and anticipating the big question. That very night, Magdiel was on the phone, frantically coordinating with his friends Alex, Lexi, and Johan to devise a brilliant plan and a convincing cover story for the proposal. Our first date had been at the Coon Rapids Dam, which, while special to us, wasn't exactly the most romantic setting for a proposal. Fortunately, a beautiful lake was nearby. As Magdiel got down on one knee to pop the question, Vanessa's excitement was so overwhelming that she jumped up and accidentally shoulder-checked him right in the throat! While it hilariously cut his carefully planned proposal speech short, it created an unforgettable and incredibly funny memory, filled with happy tears and Magdiel's efforts to clear his throat. It was perfectly imperfect, just like us.