I finally set up and went through with an online dating profile, it was terrifying to me, but my last effort after isolating myself on an island in Florida during the pandemic and to work on myself and heal, and then moving back home staying with my parents. I choose Bumble, where the girls make the first move, it was still terrible for the most part, and having to make the first move just added to it.

Ryan had pictures of himself dressed up as a cat, one in his scrubs, and one with Neil, a guy I knew from Theater Bizarre a performing venue we had both done shows at together in Detroit.

Seeing Ryan in a picture with a mutual friend made everything seem a bit more comfortable. It was a conversation starter. I didn't recognize him but he was actually in a band I knew and had seen and probably performed at the same venues.

Ryan and I continued talking on Bumble and we discovered that he had been at the show that I went to see in Hollywood when I was living there, sometime around 2011? . I even took a picture of the band that night, as I was so excited to see a band from my hometown playing on the Sunset Strip, and I living in Hollywood working on my acting career at the time, we were all kids from Michigan chasing our dreams, and I remember being so excited for us all. He doesn't remember me from that night, but he says he did use this as his profile picture.

We went to the Cranbrook institute of Science and enjoyed a meal in Birmingham for our first date. A couple of dates later I drove to see SUMPP play in a suburb of Chicago and we went to this fun arcade.

I woke up and there was a trail of rose petals leading from the bedroom to the dining room. There were roses in a vase, and a sign on my chair saying "Lauren, come find me :)!! I have a question." I went downstairs into the basement and Ryan was on one knee with a box in his hand. He said, "will you marry me." and after I said a couple of OMG's because I was so happy I realized I needed to say yes outloud a yes so he knew of course I said yes! We cried happy tears and hugged . I was so happy it was in a comfy place in my pajamas so we could have this perfect moment together. -Lauren

We were thinking of capturing the beauty of an outdoor venue in Michigan in Summer or Fall. I had been looking around and finally thought to myself, hey wait, I grew up in a place like just what I am looking for. As a child I had many fond memories of events here. The community's annual pig roast, and random summer bonfires. Over the last two years as I have returned to Michigan, I realized just what a gift growing up here was. The river, and the tress are my church and this is my holy ground. This is the place to have our wedding. - Lauren