Dakota and Allisyn met while riding bikes on a calm June night in 2015. In August of that year, Dakota embarked on a cross country bicycle trip, and he sent Allisyn a post card from every state. In September, Allisyn went to visit him while he was in Ohio. There, he asked her to be his girlfriend.

Over the next year, Dakota and Allisyn talked of their plans for the future. They were both residing in their hometown of Bay City, MI and as young adults, wanted to experience life together in a different city. With the draw of established friendships, the mountains and the ocean, Dakota and Allisyn packed up and, with Tilly in the jeep drove to the city of Seattle, WA. in the spring of 2017.

They arrived in the "rainy city" on March 28th and after sleeping on their friends' living room couch for a week, the two rented a studio apartment in the Capitol Hill neighborhood in April of 2017. Living in the iconic vibrant and busy neighborhood, the two found themselves immersed in the arts, cultures, and cuisines of a diverse city. That September, they adopted a cat who they named Jaxx. He quickly became a companion to Tilly.

Dakota started working for a pizza company, “Ian’s Pizza”, as a dough shaper and worked his way up to operations manager and part owner. His dedication to the marketing of the store and his management of the staff at the Capitol Hill location played a large role in the opening of a second “Ian’s Pizza” location in the Fremont neighborhood.

Allisyn started working at Zeek’s Pizza, in the Upper Queen Anne neighborhood, where she waited tables on the patio. After eating far too much pizza and knowing the rainy season is upon, she accepted the role as the frosting producer for the Seattle cupcake company, Cupcake Royale. In the summer of 2018, she found work closer to their apartment. She started tending the bar and soon became the manager at McMenamin’s Capitol Hill location, Six Arms. After the pandemic, she re-evaluated her path and became a confectioner and chocolatier for Theo’s Chocolate.

During their time in Seattle, the Dakota and Allisyn enjoyed the music and arts, delicious coffee and bike culture. They grew their hobbies of photography and backpacking. They made lifelong friends and hold gratitude for their experiences in Washington.

In the summer of 2021, Dakota and Allisyn moved back to their hometown of Bay City, where they purchased their first home together. The first day of October 2022, they got engaged up in Marquette MI, on the black rocks of Presque Isle. Shortly after, they welcomed a Dalmatian into their family and named him Finn.

After eight years of happiness, growth, laughter, challenges, and unconditional love, Dakota and Allisyn are getting married this September 7th, 2024! They cannot wait to share this very special day with their friends and family.