For Matt, it was love at first sight. For Katy, not so much. But it was a modern day love story that all started online. Matt and Katy met on Match.com. Both were looking for a nice Catholic with goals and dreams. It started with dinner. Katy was late. Matt was nervous. Katy was super chatty. Matt was so nervous, Katy couldn't understand what he was saying but she was determined to get to know this person to make an informed decision. After dinner, Matt suggested a walk. Something that Katy later learned was just one of many tests Matt would put girls through. Katy agreed. On that walk, they both discovered that there was something about one another that drew them in. They wanted to continue to get to know each other. Little did Katy know, Matt was about to put her through another test. There second date was with Matt's friends on a peddle wagon. That night, Katy kicked Matt's butt in beer pong and showed that the Irish can keep up with the Germans. The rest is history. They continued to chat and see each other. Eventually establishing their "Wednesday Date Nights." A night midweek set aside for the two of them to have dinner and spend time together.In their time together, they have gone to several sporting events and work charity functions. They opened each other up to new things. When they asked each other where the turning point for each of them was in their relationship, they both surprisingly came up with the same answer. Their first trip to the cottage. If you know Katy well, her family's property in Northern Michigan is incredibly special to her. She decided that it was her turn to put Matt through a test. She invited him to come to the cottage over New Years with a portion of her family. She figured that if he could be trapped in a house with several of her brothers with minimal to do and decide to stay around, he might be a keeper. And she was ready to share this special place with Matt. From there, their love continued to grow. They continued to share special moments together and have created lots of memories.

It was a blistering hot fall day in Cincinnati, Ohio. Matt had just finished coaching a soccer game and the couple was headed to a local pumpkin patch. Matt and Katy had talked about how it had been forever since they actually picked pumpkins and how that would be a great Fall activity. Katy LOVES the fall. Matt and Katy walked around and got apple cider. They hoped on the hay ride. In this moment, Katy learned how Matt is absolutely TERRIFIED of bees. Or so Matt told Katy that was why he was anxious/nervous. In Matt's defense, there was a bee that landed in his cider. They got up to where the pumpkins were located at the top of the hill, and Matt encourage Katy to walk down to the little pumpkins so they could get a picture together. Katy didn't think twice about it because she was frequently asking Matt to take a picture with her at various events. Just the night before, they got a picture together at the UC Football Game. As they walked over, Katy squatted down to take a picture of the pumpkins. Matt got on the ground and said, "I think I shall build a pumpkin snowman." Katy responded, "Umm...no you are. That's stupid. They have stems on them." In that moment, she turned and looked at Matt who was on one knee with a ring pop in his hand. Katy started to shake and asked if this was real and if it wasn't she was going to be angry. In that moment, Matt pulled out of his pocket Katy's actual ring. Her only response was "OMG, yes!" She was overwhelmed with emotion and excitement. Katy still doesn't actually remember if she actually said, "Yes!" Matt assures her that she did and that he did actually say, "Will you marry me?" And that rest is history. Matt had been planning this since his family's trip to the cottage over the Fourth of July. That was when he asked Katy's dad for permission for her hand. A couple weeks later, he spoke with her mother about the ring and what it should look like. He got input from his mother and a couple friends. It was absolutely perfect. Matt, always thinking, arranged for a photographer to capture the moment too so they they always have it.