Our story began in December 2019, amidst the festive cheer of a Christmas Bar Crawl. Cole, a civil engineer in Milwaukee, and I, a junior in nursing school at Edgewood College in Madison, were living separate lives until an unexpected meeting changed everything.

Friday night before the Christmas Bar Crawl, I was on my way home after completing my semester exams with my sister Carlie. The plan was to drop Carlie off in Waukesha since she had an exciting agenda lined up for the weekend – an ugly sweater Christmas bar crawl. However, Carlie had a persuasive way about her, and she convinced me to join in on the festivities.

To start the day on Saturday, we made a pit stop at Cole's house before the bar crawl. At the time, I was only familiar with his name; we had never met before. I was then introduced to their circle of friends, and I vividly remember that Cole was making breakfast with his roommate for everyone. After some initial mingling and a few drinks, we kicked off the day with a game of quarters. Little did I know, Cole, standing across the table, was genuinely interested in getting to know me.

As the pregame festivities wound down, we proceeded to the first bar. It was there that Cole and I truly started to connect, and from that moment on, we spent the rest of the night together.

Our relationship continued to blossom, and we had our first official date at Il Ritrovo. Over pizza and wine, we enjoyed getting to know each other better. After our first date, we continued seeing each other. Since I was in Madison without a car, Cole would travel on the weekends, where we had countless study dates at a variety of coffee shops.

As our relationship grew, the world was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. During this challenging time, we spent countless hours on video calls, deepening our connection even when we couldn't be physically together. Despite the distance, our relationship not only endured but thrived. I completed nursing school and decided to move to Milwaukee. Together, we discovered activities that we both loved, from going on long hikes and camping adventures to traveling and exploring new coffee shops.

Then on a beautiful day during one of our hikes at Lapham Peak State Park, I thought we were just enjoying a regular outing and taking in the vibrant fall colors. However, to my delightful surprise, when we reached the top of the tower, our sisters were waiting, ready to capture the magical moment when Cole got down on one knee and proposed. It was a moment that would forever etch our love story in our hearts.

You all are part of our story, and it’s far from done. Please come celebrate our special day with us since you’ve helped us along the way to find ourselves and each other!

Your presence on our special day is enough of a gift for us! But for those that would like, any gift is greatly appreciated! If it is easier for you, feel free to Venmo us for our honeymoon/home fund: Venmo: @cole-mccraw

Your presence on our special day is enough of a gift for us! But for those that would like, any gift is greatly appreciated! If it is easier for you, feel free to Venmo us for our honeymoon/home fund:

Venmo: @cole-mccraw