Kage and Nicole met online in May of 2022 where they instantly hit it off! They had their first date on May 28th, 2022 where they went to dinner at Cheddar's followed by the movie MEN in theatres (which was extremely weird and made them giggle). They quickly realized that they enjoyed each others company and hung out as often as they could manage with their busy schedules!

The first summer together consisted of picnic and hiking dates, more goofy movies, and even a trip to Galena, IL! Nicole moved into a one bedroom apartment in Coralville shortly after they started dating and Kage began to spend more and more time with her until officially moving in January of 2023!

In May of 2023 they took their first big road trip together to Colorado! They hiked in Estes Park, visited The Royal Gorge where they ziplined and swung over the canyon on the Sky Coaster, and ended in Colorado Springs! They had both previously been to Colorado but this trip made them realize how much they loved the mountains and lead to the decision that they would get married there some day :)

A few days after they arrived back home, they drove an hour to pick up a mini-goldendoodle that they named Vaeda. Kage and Nicole both grew up with dogs in the home and Vaeda was the perfect little addition to their family :) She quickly became the center of their lives and are still obsessed with her to this day!

Kage then bought the ring in October 0f 2023 where he kept it in his bedside drawer (eye roll) for 4 months. He asked Nicole's dad for his blessing in December of 2023 because he knew that this old tradition was important to her!

In January of 2024, Nicole planned a trip to Galena for Kage's birthday weekend! Kage had planned on using this weekend as the perfect moment to propose, but the weekend was initially postponed due to a bad snow-storm. Nicole was looking forward to celebrating Kage and was upset the weekend had to be pushed off but little did she know why Kage was just as disappointed.

Finally, on February 3rd of 2024 at approximately 3:30 in the afternoon, Kage was able to convince Nicole to walk over to Grant Park in Illinois to "remake" a photo they took on their first trip together in 2022. As they were walking up to the park gazebo Nicole made a joke saying "HA are you gonna propose to me in this Gazebo." Little did she know that her smart joke would turn into reality as Kage got down on one knee and asked her to marry him!

Now Kage and Nicole get to live out their dream of marrying their best friend in Colorado surrounded by their closest family and friends!

Rocky Mountain National Park

Estes Park