In 2017 I spent the summer interning in Seattle. While I didn’t know it at the time, many of the people I met during that summer would become lifelong friends and countless of them would be among the attendees at our wedding nine years later. Among this group of friends was Annelise. We first met through a mutual friend, Mary, and spent the day exploring Discovery Park along with Dan who was visiting for the weekend. As an intern you’re not sure what city you will end up in or if you will even have a job. Fortunately for both Annelise and I, we ended up employed and in Seattle 12 months later. While we saw each other frequently through our Seattle friend group, our first date wouldn’t happen until 2021. While on a trip to Austin we abandoned our friends (apologies to Rohan and Emily) and explored the city together. Once back in Seattle we started going on dates in the city and began officially dating. After a couple of years of dating, we began talking about and planning for marriage - something we wouldn’t loop our parents in on for another couple of years. Then in the summer of 2025 we got engaged at a coffee shop below Annelise’s first apartment in New York. While Annelise was not necessarily surprised - she saw my work calendar which I had cleverly blocked off with “Engaged!” - we did successfully surprise her the next day with an engagement party along with guests from Seattle. We’re beyond excited to officially celebrate with all of you next summer and can’t wait to see you in Minnesota.