It's a 21st-century love story, a dating app success story. Katie and Ben matched on Hinge, an online dating app, while Ben was deer hunting at Rocky Acres in Deer River during the fall of 2021, and Katie was living in Baxter. After talking for about a week, they had their first date meeting halfway at Benson's Eating & Drinking Emporium in Walker, MN. A couple of weeks later, Katie drove to Grand Forks, ND, for their second date at the Ralph for the rivalry game between the Fighting Sioux and MN Gophers.

The first eight months of their relationship were long-distance, with lots of driving and Facetime dates, but more importantly, lots of laughs were had, and memories were made. They both moved to Fargo in June of 2022, where they made their first home together and learned the ins and outs of the new city. Through the last 2.5 years together, their admiration, support for one another, and love only continue to grow and strengthen.

On March 9th, 2024, while drinking coffee on a Saturday morning in their home, Ben popped the big question, and Katie emphatically said yes.