It all started one evening in June 2019, when we both swiped right and began a riveting conversation about vacuums. Soon after, we had our first date. We played mini golf, then went to Dublins where Nick tried to convince Samantha of the appeal of a Scottish egg. While that wasn’t successful, we knew it wouldn’t be our last date. One of our best memories of dating early on was our third date at Busiek State Forest. What was supposed to be a short hike turned into a 5 hour trek thanks to Nick’s lack of direction and Samantha’s insistence on wading through the creek instead of the marked trails. While we had already spent far more time together than we anticipated that afternoon, we weren’t ready to call it an evening. Nick made Samantha his famous shrimp alfredo and chocolate Oreo shakes. Over the next couple months we shared our love for card games, golfing, the lake, hiking, wine, and steak. In August of 2019, after an evening in Branson where Samantha dominated in go-carts, we made it official.

Over the next few years, we got to know each other’s families and friends, went on many trips, moved to Kansas City, started new jobs, and welcomed the best Berner boy, Zeke into the family!


In August of 2022, we planned a weekend trip to Bull Shoals lake at Samantha’s childhood lake house. We packed all our things and headed out on the boat as usual Saturday morning. At that point, Nick’s mom said she wanted to see a special part of the lake. Once we got to a beautiful scenic cliff, Nick got down on one knee with a ring and a well executed speech. Samantha cried and laughed and managed to get out a “yes” somewhere in the middle. Afterward we enjoyed champagne and a perfect afternoon on the lake.

We’re so excited to get married at Big Cedar where we can celebrate and share the lake, golfing, and beautiful sunsets with our family and friends!