Meet Cute: This story begins in December 2019, Casey was waiting to perform Pomp and Circumstance for the University of Minnesota Nursing School Graduation. Riise was in the thick of her 6th holiday year as a seasoned Bakery Manager for Lunds & Byerlys. They matched on Hinge, a dating app. Casey chatted about his cat, Skoshi, and teaching middle school band. Riise asked him if he had heard of Orangetheory and what his top Marvel movies were. Casey was beyond accommodating to Riise’s chaotic bakery hours, and she was understanding about his winter break vacation plans. The first in-person date was set for January 4, 2020. First date: They met for pho and hard cider at Sociable Cider Werks in Northeast Minneapolis. Sociable is known for its dog-friendly atmosphere. Riise loves dogs, and several cute furry friends captured Riise’s attention (making her seem distracted) that night. Many of the typical first-date conversation topics had been covered over text, so as Casey walked home, he was unsure of what would come next. Riise sent a text the next day to Casey to affirm she indeed had a good time and enjoyed listening to his funny stories. Pandemic Dating: Riise and Casey navigated their journeys as essential workers. Riise calmly managed hoards of shoppers looking for toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and bread. Casey taught music from his kitchen with Skoshi as his cuddly, often sleeping assistant. Several of their early dates were rotating which neighborhoods to explore via hikes or long walks and which takeout restaurants to support. Casey’s Aunt Betty had gifted him a DIY cocktail kit and thus began their journey of designing craft cocktails and cooking delicious meals together over Facetime. Birthday celebrations in 2020 looked very different. In June for Casey’s Birthday, Riise knew she had to make it special. She devised a plan to decorate a cake to look like his favorite stuffed animal, a sloth. (Photo proof may be found in the Gallery). The Proposal: On February 4, 2023, Riise and Casey planned to celebrate the third anniversary of their fourth date one week late (interesting math). A week before the date, Riise told Casey that it would be a good day to “talk about the future of our relationship.” Casey suppressed laughter as he had already talked to all four of their parents about his plans for the weekend. The day started at Bogart's Donuts (see the Things to Do section) along with two friends. Riise and Casey then went to The Como Park Zoo & Conservatory in St. Paul to recreate their fourth date. Early in their relationship, Riise had joked that her ideal proposal was at the top of Table Mountain in South Africa (a favorite location from her 2011 study abroad). While they walked through the park, Casey expressed that he didn’t think that a flight to Cape Town was feasible, so instead he brought along a few pictures of Table Mountain to give Riise before asking the big question. “Life is turbulent, life is messy, life is complicated, but my feelings for you are not.” After Riise’s yes, they celebrated with rosé at their favorite cafe/bookstore, Cream & Amber, where a local artist taught a class on folding a book into the shape of a heart (see the head table for finished products). The evening concluded with a romantic dinner at Khaluna, a Laotian restaurant in Minneapolis. There, they really did have a conversation about the future (although it was a little different than Riise had planned). Skoshi helped make the announcement public by gently holding the ring on social media in March 2023. "After 4 and a half years together, we can't wait to celebrate with all of you on October 19!" As Riise's mom, Ellie, exclaimed shortly after hearing of our engagement, "It's gonna be one heck of a party!"