Justin and I met on Tinder and decided to keep things casual, so we went on our first date as friends. I’ll never forget meeting at Soleas, a Mexican restaurant, where Justin ordered a beer and tried to show off his lime-squeezing skills, but ended up squirting lime juice directly into his eye—talk about embarrassing! Despite the mishap, we kept chatting and laughing, and it didn’t take long before we set up our second date.

That second date was a bit of an adventure. Desiree, who was driving, made a little mistake when we went over a curb, but we still enjoyed dinner and ice cream. Afterward, we decided to take a walk at Menominee Park in the middle of March, but Desiree, unfortunately, wasn’t dressed for the chilly weather. Justin, being thick-headed, missed all the subtle hints that Desiree was cold and didn’t offer his jacket. Turns out, he wasn’t as tough as he looked—he was cold too!

The first time Justin “assumed” we were dating was the day Desiree got her braces. We grabbed some ice cream to soothe her aching teeth, and when we returned to her house, Justin casually mentioned meeting the Hesselinks and referred to Desiree as his girlfriend. He never officially asked, so Desiree corrected him, asking, “So, are we boyfriend and girlfriend now?” Justin stammered and said, “I thought we were?” At that point, Desiree made him officially ask her to be his girlfriend.

From that moment on, Desiree and Justin took the next steps together—moving in together, traveling to various states across the U.S., and adopting their first puppy, Lainey. They quickly became a family of three. Throughout their time together, Desiree learned patience while waiting for Justin to finally pop the question, and Justin learned how little patience Desiree actually has.

Then came Labor Day weekend, when we went to Long Lake in Dundee. We spent the day at the beach with Lainey and had ice cream before returning to the campsite. Justin told me he had to grab something from the truck, and, thinking it was a snack, I went along. But then he said, “Come here, I have something to show you.” He pulled out a ring, got down on one knee, and asked me to marry him in sign language. Of course, I said "Finally!" and tearfully said yes. I did get my snack after all the excitement!

Now, Desiree and Justin are house hunting, hoping to find a home to start their life together after the wedding. They’re looking forward to celebrating their special day with all of the important people they’ve invited. They can’t wait to drink, dance, and share this unforgettable day with everyone! Thank you for supporting us and being a part of our celebration. See you on the dance floor!