Riley and Maddy started talking the beginning of January in 2021 after Brenda Kjack met Riley and told him she had the perfect girl for him. After about a month of talking and getting to know each other, Riley asked Maddy on their first date, dinner at his house on Sunday, February 7th, 2021. After first date success, Riley invited Maddy to a family birthday party and introduced her to his family, before Maddy invited Riley to her favorite past time, football Saturdays on the Palouse, to meet her family and watch her little brother play. Time went by and they grew closer, bonding over their shared family farm roots and love for nice trucks, semi-trucks that is. 

Fast forward over a year and Riley and Maddy moved into a farm house together in May of 2022, enjoying the quiet country and adding two kitties to their crew. Riley and Maddy continued to grow their love for each other as the months and years went by, with loving to host friends and family for barbecues, holidays, and game nights. 

Shortly after the 3rd anniversary of their first date, on February 11th, also Super Bowl Sunday, Riley decided to host Maddy’s parents for the big game. Little did Maddy know though, that Riley had already asked Dave if he could marry his daughter, and Dave and Cathy had brought Maddy’s grandmothers wedding ring with them. That same night, with just the two of them, Riley had to tell Maddy that her early Valentine’s gift was on the night stand (only after she totally missed it sitting there) and when she saw it, he said “so are we going to get married or what.” The echo of the same words Dave told Cathy over 35 years prior. 

After their engagement, Riley and Maddy took her grandmothers ring in to re-design it into both her Grandma Shirley’s and Maddy’s favorite flower, a rose. Wedding planning then took off as they decided December was the time, and Riley slowly let his grinch heart grow a few sizes and help Maddy with her giant love of Christmas and all things Christmas light related to get married during Maddy’s favorite season.