The first time we met, we were on a "Happy Hour Welcome" Microsoft Teams call for our work in June of 2020. It was Liesel's first week of work, and we were all fully remote. We crossed paths in person for the first time at a workout class coordinated by our work, but didn't officially meet until July 31st where we had another Microsoft Teams call. This time, it was just the two of us and we bonded over both being from the Upstate of South Carolina. A whole year passed before we started dating on July 13, 2021.

Liesel had expressed interest in the proposal being a surprise, so after months of secrecy and plotting it was finally time to pop the question. I told Liesel that we were going to a fancy Italian restaurant in Downtown Easley to have dinner with my parents to celebrate their 36th wedding anniversary, but this was simply a ruse! Their anniversary isn't even on July 29th! When we arrived we walked through a garden towards the restaurant. In the garden we found a ukulele! I picked up the ukulele and played 'All Of Me' by John Legend for Liesel. At the end of the song I proposed. Some teenagers that were climbing onto a roof nearby clapped and a lady who was having dinner in the Italian restaurant came outside to congratulate us. After taking some photos we headed back to my parents' house where we celebrated our engagement with family.