Elaina and Ryan met at a group at WMU called His House Christian Fellowship. They got to know each other well and became friends while being a part of weekly community groups, where they discussed God and spent time with other friends.

Elaina and Ryan started dating on Valentine's Day in 2024. They began their relationship with a lot of walks and talks, where they got to know each other and ask all their questions.

Ryan and Elaina become "official" on March 11, 2024. They had been going on dates since Valentine's Day and decided it was time for them to define the relationship.

Ryan and Elaina LOVE Buffalo Wild Wings and can often be spotted there on date night.

Wedding season! As they celebrated their friends and loved ones' marriages, Ryan and Elaina began to have more serious conversations about the future. Not long after this picture, Ryan placed an order for the ring Elaina innocently sent to him because "it just popped up on my Pinterest randomly."

On July 5, 2025, Ryan took Elaina on a walk at Asylum Lake Park and asked her to be his wife. (She said yes!) After their walk, Ryan surprised Elaina by having both of their families waiting at a restaurant in Kalamazoo to celebrate with them.