It all started back in March of 2023, when Gabby was at the beach, and Andrew was on top of a mountain. Both were on separate vacations when they matched with each other online. Andrew was out snowboarding in Vail, Colorado when he got a notification on his phone. It was from Gabby, who was relaxing beachside in sunny Panama City Beach, Florida. She was responding to Andrew's online prompt of, "Guess who my favorite Lord of the Rings character is", where they then started excitedly guessing each other's favorite. After chatting for a few days and learning of many common interests including their Christian faith, outdoor adventuring, love of many different fantasy series, animals, and more, both agreed to meet up and go on a date upon returning to Minnesota! After many dates focused on getting to know each other, Andrew asked Gabby in early April of 2023 if she would like to move forward into an official relationship, and she eagerly said yes!

Since then, Gabby and Andrew have done many of the things that they love together, including camping adventures, multiple trips to the North Shore and Florida, spending quality time with family and friends, attending church events, playing Dungeons and Dragons with friends, spending time outdoors hiking and hammocking, and growing deeper in their faith, closeness with each other, and the Lord.

Fast forward through a year and a half of dating, it came time for Andrew to propose! He worked with Gabby's grandpa, Jeff, to design and create the engagement ring. Jeff is a jeweler by trade and was honored when asked by Andrew if he would make the ring! After many back and forth emails to complete a design, and a couple pesky delays that were out of their control, the ring was finally complete and in hand on Sept. 27, 2024.

The timing of getting the ring was perfect, and Andrew was able to execute his proposal plan on the evening of Oct. 2. He proposed at Bunker Hills Regional Park, a special place to both him and Gabby, during the golden hour just before sunset. The spot was beautifully decorated thanks to the help of a few close friends, and Gabby was totally surprised! Following her initial surprise, her answer was an immediate and resounding "YES!"! They spent close to the next hour at the proposal spot, taking in the excitement of the new engagement, when Andrew said he had one more surprise for Gabby that evening. With Gabby being totally stumped as to what other surprise there could possibly be, they both got into Andrew's car, where he drove to Invictus Brewing in Blaine. Waiting there to celebrate with the newly engaged couple were both Gabby and Andrew's immediate family, and a few of their close friends! The whole night was such a surprise and success, and Gabby and Andrew are so incredibly grateful for all the hands that helped pull off the proposal plan!

And with that... let the countdown to May 10, 2025 begin!