On 5/23/22 David limped up to Ale Mary's to meet Kelly. They had matched on Hinge and enjoyed some pleasantries and decided to meet up. The 23rd was a Monday evening, which is an unconventional date night, but Kelly was headed out of town for a wedding and they opted to meet up to keep the momentum rolling. Needless to say the first date went well, so well in fact that they made plans to meet up again upon Kelly's return.

David pulled out all the stops for date 2 - he grilled up some salmon and invited Kelly over for dinner. Without hesitation she joined and even toured David's basement full of axes. A brave move indeed.

By July, they had booked a camping trip up to the thumb area. Not known to be a camper, Kelly embraced the experience! This led to a trip to Acadia National Park. Kelly had plans to go with a friend who backed out last minute so David tagged along. Through hiking, brewery visits and lobster rolls, the love began to flower.

They began to book every weekend with activities and trips from there-on-out - this included hiking trips, concerts, apple picking, trips to Ludington, eating all the tasting menus in Detroit, cooking classes, new friendships, birthday celebrations and more!

In early 2023 this gorgeous young couple began shopping for shiny finger accessories (aka engagement rings). Once the ring was chosen and custom made, David stored it in a secure place and waited for the right moment.

Into the spring season, David just couldn't wait any longer. He began his masterful plan to hijack Father's Day - but really what better gift to their fathers!

Kelly had a sister weekend planned, so David coordinated to get Casey (Kelly's sister) up from Indy to join.

On the fateful day, David picked Kelly up to supposedly go meet his parents for brunch. But wait, David's dad called and said they were running 'late'. Coincidentally, they were still near Normandy Oaks Park so David suggested a walk before it got too warm. David had recently launched a new product for Motor City Axe and grabbed it to take some product photos. Kelly thought nothing of it. David asked her to model the new product and to walk away from him holding the knife for social media content. Little did she know he wasn't filming anything, but pulling out the ring and getting on one knee.

From there it was tears and happiness and joy, followed by a big brunch with both families!

Now let's get these 2 married!