Hi! We’re so excited to share with those of you who may not already know how we met, because truthfully, there’s no explanation other than the Lord’s divine intervention!

For those who may not know, Maddie grew up in Golden, CO, and Will grew up in Atlanta, GA. In September 2022, Will moved to Denver for work, completely unaware of how much would change in the coming months.

Our paths crossed at WeWork in Denver, the office where we both worked, where Will apparently had an instant crush. After a few attempts to strike up a conversation (some smoother than others), Maddie finally agreed to go on a date to a Colorado Avalanche hockey game. Will had asked Maddie out on several occasions prior (for happy hour and dinner), but Maddie managed to turn all of them into group outings because she was too nervous for a one-on-one. ;)

However, when Will asked her to the Avalanche game, she knew she couldn't turn this one into a group ordeal... Spoiler alert: it was a great first date, so much so that it carried into the next day with Waffle House (the first and last time Will conned me into that) and golf, and the rest is history.

Once I knew Maddie was the one, I decided to go ring shopping. I struggled with ideas for how to propose while working within the guidelines I had been given (i.e., making sure her nails were freshly done???).

Long story short, I bought a ring without a plan—until Maddie mentioned she had signed up for a half marathon in San Diego. What could be better than an engagement on the beach in California?

I had my plan. I secured Mr. and Mrs. Schneider’s permission and arranged for my family to meet us in San Diego. To make the story even more dramatic, I had the ring shipped to Atlanta so my mom could fly it out to California (clearly, I trust her more than myself when it comes to not losing things).

We arrived in CA, and the day was set: May 31, 2024—a typical “Gray May” day in California, just two days before the big race. The plan was to go to dinner, but Maddie and I would arrive early to “walk the beach,” do the proposal, and then meet everyone at George’s at the Cove to celebrate.

I always believed in the motto “Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance.” That was true until Maddie started to get a hunch that something was going to happen that night. After some intense interrogation, I finally told her to “BE NORMAL” and just go with it!

We walked along the coast to a spot where my sister had arranged a blanket on the beach for the engagement. Maddie saw the blanket but was still in denial—until I finally got down on one knee and asked her to marry me.

We have since moved to Arizona and cannot wait for all that is to come.

Cheers to forever!