"The story of how Mike and Bethany met may sound 'old fashioned.' They found themselves at the Safehouse (a spy themed bar in Milwaukee) alone on a random Wednesday night. Bethany's car had just broken down and she just needed a 'safe place.' Mike found himself there visiting old friends on karaoke night. If you don't know about the Safehouse, you have to complete tasks to get in. Bethany, thinking she was cool as a new regular, asked Mike what he had to do to get in, not realizing he used to work there... By the end of the night he gave her a tour and told her more about the bar than she could even pretend to know." We were friends for about a year, going to trivia nights and exploring Milwaukee, and realized that we really enjoyed spending time with each other! Before we knew it one year passed and we began sharing more of our lives together, including date nights and family weddings (the ultimate test). After several fun adventures and the every-day in between, we began to realize our love for each other was a forever song. So here we are, ready to spend forever together!

It all started with a friend get together. Bethany had her college friends up for a fun weekend and thought she would fit in a visit to the jewelry store "just for fun". I was in on it the entire time, but it took a lot of help from friends to keep a secret from the girl who knows me best! Once I found the right ring, I called her friend Emma knowing she could keep her guessing about a future proposal date. I decided to plan a trip to see our friends and family in Madison Wisconsin. There is a beautiful lake with cliff side views just north of the city, and I knew it would be a perfect place since were are big hikers. I knew if the view was beautiful enough Bethany couldn't resist a good photo. I anxiously asked my cousin Matt to take a photo of us. I looked out at the lake while we were posing and said " Wow, I could look at this view forever....speaking of forever, will you be my forever?" And she said... REALLY?, followed by screams of excitement and a YES! I was shocked! I thought he was going to wait until our trip out west in August, which Emma helped me to believe. I was all the more surprised because at first, the ring box was upside down so I couldn't see the beautiful ring he had gotten... Once I realized what was happening, it was like the rest of the world fell away and it was just us. We soaked in the moment and reality of getting to spend forever together. A few minutes later I couldn't help myself and I just screamed off the side of the cliff, "We're Engaged!!" This was returned with at least half a dozen celebratory cheers by other nearby hikers. The rest of the hike my knees were weak and I was elated. (Definitely due to the proposal and not for the lack of being in shape..)