On May 18th, 2018, we met for the first time at a Caribou☕️ What was supposed to be a quick, casual date turned into a four-hour flirt-fest that marked the beginning of “us”. Despite the undeniable chemistry we both felt on that first date, the circumstances for a long term relationship were not favorable; two days later Nathanael moved back to Tracy, MN for the summer, Maile moved to Eau Claire, WI, and we both had scrap metal cars that were more fit for the dump than an 8 hour round-trip to visit each other. However, through the power of video calls, borrowing our parents’ cars, and a little bit of luck, we took the leap of faith and took a chance on each other.

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After the summer of love, we upgraded our cars and began a two-year long-distance relationship. During this time we lived our own lives; Nathanael was pursuing a mechanical engineering degree at St. Cloud State University and Maile was pursuing a special education degree at UW-Eau Claire. Though we were working hard and living our own lives, we cherished the weekends we got to spend together and continue to make space for each other. Sure enough, our bond and foundation continued to grow and after all of those years, we graduated and finally got to move in together in 2020. We were so excited to take this next step and stop spending so much dang money on gas!

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Since moving back to Minnesota in 2020, Nathanael has begun his career as a mechanical engineer and and Maile has begun hers as an early childhood special education teacher. Living together for the first time, during Covid, beginning new careers, and building a social life was insane! However, we learned so much about each other; how we handle stress, make plans, clean a space, communicate, and most importantly, create space for each other. We saw each other through our highest highs and our lowest lows. As each day passed, it became more apparent to us that we were each other’s people. So much so, that we decided to put our money where our mouths were and buy our first home in 2022.

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In this home, with our cat Figgy, Nathanael asked Maile if she will marry him and the rest is history!

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We are so excited to have you share this special day with us as we begin our next chapter of forever🫶🏼