A mentor of Heidi’s encouraged her to try the dating apps for at least 1 week. Heidi and Nicholas match on a dating app called Hinge. It didn’t go anywhere after a few messages…but they did both exchange numbers. 😉 After the week was up Heidi deleted the app and swore them off. She had already locked in that Nicholas was a diamond in the rough and the others weren’t worth giving a try.

Now that Nicholas had Heidi’s number, he invited her to fish fry with his friends. She went!

The exchange that put things in motion

Heidi and Nicholas finally have their first date! They met up to ice skate at Vilas park, of which they were the only ones there since there was an active blizzard happening. After skating they decided to walk through the pretty ~5 inches of snow~ to Garth’s Brew Bar. The waiter knew something was brewing among the two as he let them stay talking about 1 hour past close! Thank you waiter.

Heidi and Nicholas make their relationship official on March 12th, 2023. Just 2 days into dating Heidi and Nicholas celebrated pi day together when Heidi brought over surprise pie from Bloom Bakery. This was the picture sent to the Gulachek family group chat.

Heidi met Nicholas’s mom when she visited the week they started dating. A day full of fun with Olbrich gardens and New Glarus visits

Heidi’s birthday surprises included a hike at Devil’s lake planned by Nicholas

Heidi’s first trip to Minneapolis to meet all his family!

Orthodox Easter celebrated at St Mary’s Cathedral

Heidi and her family celebrated her grandma Erickson’s life at Ishnala Supper Club

A volunteer event (Night to Remember) that Heidi does yearly—this time with Nicholas in attendance too!

Our first wedding together!

Many fun memories this summer: concerts, festivals, etc.

Our visits to Minneapolis always included seeing Nicholas’s niece Anastasia and other family

Heidi joins Nicholas’s family and church family for a vacation at the headwaters of the Mississippi (Lake Itasca)

Labor Day weekend at the Wagner’s condo on Castle Rock Lake

Heidi’s childhood friend Katelyn gets married. Nicholas uses this as an opportunity to ask Heidi’s parents for her hand in marriage since Heidi was with the wedding party.

Heidi and Nicholas celebrate 6 months with a rollerblade in a torrential downpour (unplanned) and dinner at the Old Fashioned (planned)

A beautiful fall weekend in Wausau, WI for the wedding of a friend of Heidi’s mom. Heidi caught the bouquet 🫢

Nicholas’s friend from high school got married in Minneapolis. The engagement ring Nicholas designed was ready to pick up the Friday they left. He got to show his family the ring prior to the proposal. Many people at the wedding kept asking Heidi if she and Nicholas were engaged 🤔

Heidi and Nicholas visited the iconic Pine Haven Pumpkin patch that has a pumpkin cannon (pictured). Heidi was in HEAVEN. Nicholas cut the visit short stating that in order to see Devils’s lake fall colors they needed to get there before sunset. Heidi was upset, but forgave him on their 4 hour drive to Devil’s Lake.

Nicholas had more plans than seeing the fall colors! He had his friend Graham set up to take pictures too! (Thank you Graham!) 🥰