DeKoven Center  - 3p

Wedding Day

Wedding

Meadowbrook Country Club  -  5p Cocktails  6:30p Dinner

Reception

Our Wedding

Ours begins as any classic love story - in a bar.&nbsp;Al is convinced it was the magnetism of his Red Dog jacket that drew Katie in; she insists it was the push of the crowd.&nbsp; Whatever the reason, we were brought together on one of the most important nights of the year: the&nbsp;Big 10 Championship Game. The meeting was brief but impactful.&nbsp; A first date quickly followed and led to a second and a third, and soon enough, we were making a home together in Madison.&nbsp; The next four years saw us through so many things:&nbsp;a move, new job opportunities, and Al's unlikely but ultimately inevitable adoption of Katie's cat, Max.&nbsp;We've shared so many special moments together - late night laughs with friends and early morning alarm clocks, trips across the world and walks around the park.&nbsp; But of all the places we've been and the things we've done, we are most excited to be where we are right now, preparing to share one of life's most significant milestones.&nbsp;&nbsp;June 2, 2018- can't wait!

How We Met

It was Sunday, May 14th, 2017,&nbsp;Mother's Day, in fact. Katie was getting ready to travel back to Racine to spend time with her family, a trip in which Al had originally planned to attend. Al saw an opening, an opportunity, a chance; and, at the very last minute, he opted out of making the journey back home with his, then girlfriend, Katie, stating that he needed to finish up work and also work on the display of flowers they had recently bought to put on their balcony. Katie departed. After the coast was clear, Al went to work. After minutes of sitting at his desk, he got back in his car and plugged the following into Google Maps on his phone: Chalmer's Jewelers.&nbsp;

12 days elapsed and the little red box didn't leave Al's person. It was with him everywhere he went, from the gym to brunch to client meetings. He couldn't risk losing it, or even worse, Katie finding it.&nbsp;

Fast forward to the afternoon of Friday, May 26th, 2017. The plan was for Al to finish work around 5, and then travel home to pick up Katie so they could go to Monona Terrace Convention Center. Katie was running the Madison 1/2 Marathon that Sunday and they needed to pick up her race packet. Then, a minor roadblock. When Al got home, Katie was in pajamas and vouching for staying home and watching a movie. Al's response, "Ok that's fine, I can go pick up your race packet." Katie replied with, "Well, no, I'll get up." They left.&nbsp;

When they arrived at Monona Terrace, they walked down the long hallways past the gorgeous photographs displaying the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, and down into the Marathon Event Room. Once they had secured Katie's race packet, the plan was to go to Paisan's, a local Italian restaurant next to the convention center. This was a tradition between Katie and Al they'd started a year earlier. As they walked back up to the parking garage, Al asked if Katie wanted to take a walk down the bike path hugging Lake Mendota. Katie's response, not what you might call overly-enthusiastic, but not seemingly suspicious either, was, "yes".&nbsp; They struggled to find a way from the maze of parking structure and stairwells down to sea-level. Al persisted. Eventually, they found the path.&nbsp;They walked along the path in-between the lake and John&nbsp;Nolen Drive for 10 minutes or so before stopping at a pier on the lake. They looked out onto the water&nbsp;together, and just as Al was mustering the courage to make his move,&nbsp;a family of ducks swam by the pier. Not only did they draw in Katie's attention, but the skein of mallards began to draw a crowd. Al was incredibly nervous - but eventually after a matter of seconds, which seemed like hours, the ducks moved on and so did the people who had been observing. Suddenly, it was just Al and Katie on the pier, and no one on the bike path in sight. Al reached his arms out to Katie and looked her in the eye. His heart was beating uncontrollably. "Katie, feel my heart beat." "Oh my God, Al. Oh my... Oh my God!" Al got down on one knee, holding Katie's hand with one hand, and reaching into his pocket with the other. 1.)&nbsp;"Katie, will you marry me?" 2.) "Yes!".... It was either that, or... 1.) "Yes!" 2.)&nbsp;Katie, will you marry me?" They're still not sure in&nbsp;which order the dialogue happened. Then, this, "WOOO HOOO!!!!&nbsp;CON-GRAT-U-LAT-IONS!!!!" A biker passing by, storybook moment and if you were there you'd agree.&nbsp;As they coexisted in this blur of happiness, excitement and emotion, tears of happiness streamed down Katie's face as Al took selfies of the two with his phone. After a couple phone calls to family members, they walked back up the path and had a wonderful dinner at Paisan's, later sharing laughs and stories with friends. The Beginning.&nbsp;

THE PROPOSAL

Our Story

Details

Andy Halverson

Lilly Buchholz

Alyson Buchholz

Chris Mooney

Ben Kusters

Sara Peters

Damien Henken

Ken Tennessen

Dave Mich

Wedding Party

Photos

Registry

Q + A

To take advantage of&nbsp;group rates, please call the direct line&nbsp;and reference the Buchholz - Kusters wedding, or use the following link by May 1.&nbsp; <a href="http://www.marriott.com/meeting-event-hotels/group-corporate-travel/groupCorp.mi?resLinkData=Buchholz/Kusters%20Wedding%5Emkede%60bucbuca%60119%60USD%60false%605%606/1/18%606/3/18%605/1/18&app=resvlink&stop_mobi=yes">http://www.marriott.com/meetin...</a>

Racine Architect / Delta Hotel by Marriott Racine

To take advantage of group rates, please call the direct line&nbsp;and reference the Buchholz - Kusters wedding by May 1.

Katie & Alex

Katie & Alex

Photos