Will and Catherine were hopelessly scrolling through a dating app in November of 2022. All of a sudden, a match!! Will sent a message. Catherine took her time replying. About a week went by before Catherine responded, but who was counting? She says she was busy spending time with family for Thanksgiving…Once the conversation started, it was easy and fun. After less than a week, Will asked if Catherine would be willing to take their relationship to the next level—meet in person. Hoping she wasn’t being catfished, Catherine obliged. Will recommended that they meet halfway, given that he lived about an hour away. Coming to the realization that she hadn’t updated her radius or paid attention to Will’s location, Catherine figured that a date in the burbs couldn’t be that bad. Both tired of boring dates, but limited by the Minnesotan winter, they agreed to meet at Dave and Busters - if the conversation went poorly, then they at least had games to focus on.

After a great conversation about similar upbringings and mutual interest in sports and traveling, they both realized that an hour had flown by. Will successfully (in his mind) showed off his church league basketball skills on the hoops game, while Catherine broke the Skeeball machine after bragging about her ‘mad’ skills. While children left with cool toys, Will and Catherine mustered enough tickets for two tiny little poppers - they were more focused on the company. Shortly after the first date, they both agreed that a second date was in order. As the attraction grew, they tried to squeeze in as many dates as they could before Catherine went to Michigan for Christmans. Catherine even agreed to meet some of Will’s family members within a month.

Dates quickly turned into weekends spent with each other. They enjoyed meeting each other’s friends, going on hikes at local parks, and much more! When summer came, Will went out to Michigan. Will had a great time getting to know Catherine’s family and touring Davlin Farms! After spending 10 days straight together, they were already planning more adventures for their future. They both took that as a good sign.

Will and Catherine talked about planning a ‘big’ trip. An international trip would certainly test the relationship, right? Patagonia had always been on Catherine’s bucket list and she somehow convinced Will that they NEEDED this trip and that although he had never backpacked, that backpacking in another country was a great idea. After several months of careful planning, and some practice on the Superior Hiking Trail in Northern Minnesota, November 2023 came quickly - and they were off! They loved their trip, the incredible sights of Chile and Argentina, and came home after 3 weeks yearning for more time and trips together. For Will, there were big plans brewing… a ring was in order.

After some failed reconnaissance missions to figure out what Catherine desired in a ring/size/etc., Will took multiple trips to the jewelry store to pick out a stone fit for a life partner (Catherine didn’t own ANY rings, Will even searched high and low in her house trying to find a ring to get a ballpark size!). Alas, Will picked out a ring and it was time to plan the proposal.

Will knew that Catherine would not want a proposal in front of a thousand people, so decided to do one of their favorite things —hike in the forest—and pop the question there. On a chilly, slightly snowy, January day, they took a break from cleaning Will’s house to go for a hike at Warner Lake County Park. This place was special to both of them. Catherine had done a triathlon here before she knew Will. They shared many days kayaking, running, swimming, and just enjoying the beauty that exists in nature. Will suggested they go take a picture in a tall grove of pine trees and set his phone up for a picture. Will went and checked the phone, ensuring it was centered, then asked for one more photo, secretly switching the phone to video. Will got in position and then turned to Catherine and nervously stated his deep love for her, followed by a proposal to marry. Catherine saw Will get down on a knee and her mind was racing—“is this really happening?” she thought. Catherine said “Yes!”, and a passionate embrace ensued. All the while, Juke, Will’s dog, ran around them, trying to compete for attention and show off all the great sticks that he found!

Since the proposal, Will moved to Minneapolis to live with his bride-to-be and start wedding planning. At first, they thought something quiet and small seemed like the right approach. But, after MANY hours of discussion, they both realized that the day wouldn’t be complete without being able to celebrate with family and friends. Time for a PARTY! They can’t wait to see and celebrate with all of you.