Isaac and I have always known of each other, but our paths didn’t cross in the way they were meant to until a bit later. Back in high school, Isaac tried to connect with me on Instagram and Snapchat, but I wasn’t exactly interested at the time—so, I ended up blocking him when he would not stop trying to chat with me. Little did I know, that was just the beginning of our story.

Fast forward a year. I was warming up at the annual Upper Iowa Conference track meet, and there, I spotted a guy I couldn’t help but think was incredibly attractive. It turns out, that guy I was admiring from across the track was indeed Isaac. From that moment, I started seeing him more and more at track meets. Eventually, I found myself volunteering to shag his discs and, after some time, decided to take the plunge and add him back on Snapchat. To my surprise, I found out he was already in a relationship. At that moment, I knew I screwed up by not giving him a chance the first time - but we continued to chat casually over the next few months.

Then, in June of 2019, everything clicked. We officially became a couple on June 22nd, and from that moment on, we shared so many memories during our high school years. Isaac graduated, and I still had two years left, but we managed to navigate our relationship with a mix of love, support, and high school milestones.

However, as life tends to go, I decided we needed a break, and we ended up parting ways for about a year. While it was tough at the time, looking back, we both believe it happened exactly when it was supposed to. It gave us the space we needed to grow individually and appreciate each other even more. Like I always told him, we were meant to be together, and when the time was right, we’d find our way back.

True to my words, we reconnected in March of 2022. From that moment on, it’s been nothing but joy, growth, and countless beautiful memories together.

I went off to Iowa State University, and while we faced the challenges of a long-distance relationship, we made it work by visiting each other on weekends. It wasn’t always easy, but we knew we were stronger because of it.

Then, in September of 2024, during my senior year at Iowa State, I came home for a weekend visit. Isaac and I decided to take a ride in the side-by-side out back at Grandma and Grandpa Butikofer’s place. Little did I know, that simple ride would change everything. Isaac got down on one knee, and the rest, as they say, is history.

I truly can not wait to marry my best friend. We’re beyond excited to share our next chapter with you as we marry on April 25th, 2026! Thank you for being a part of our journey.

- Tessa

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