Alex and Mara first met at a party through mutual friends in Wausau, Wisconsin. The two hit it off right away and spent the rest of the night chatting about various life plans and goals they had. Little did they know, they shared many of the same dreams and aspirations as each other.

After exchanging numbers, the two left the party not knowing what would happen between them due to Alex continuing college at the University of North Dakota, and Mara soon heading back to school at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. They stayed in touch, and eventually met up in Fergus Fall, Minnesota for their first date. Alex took Mara out for lunch and ice cream and the two spent the afternoon walking by the river and hammocking. To ensure Mara saw Alex again, she made him homemade chocolate chip cookies to enjoy on his drive back to North Dakota. The cookies worked, and the two of them met up for a second date, this time in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

Alex asked Mara to be his girlfriend on August 30th, 2022, under a beautiful North Dakota sunset. The two started their dating journey being over 500 miles away from each other. Throughout the school year, the two of them frequently met up at Mara's parents house which was conventionally located halfway between them. They saw each other every 4-6 weeks, which was difficult, but the time they spent with each other made the distance apart worth it. They were apart during the duration of their sophomore years of college, until Alex decided to move back home to Antigo, Wisconsin.

Now only being an hour apart, the two of them saw their relationship grow and deepen in ways neither of them expected. Since then, they have enjoyed spending time visiting each other in Stevens Point and Antigo. Alex proposed to Mara on December 13, 2024. The proposal took place along one of their favorite walking trails by the Wisconsin River where she of course said ‘yes!’ Alex and Mara have gone on many adventures together and are eager to start the many new adventures that marriage brings!