Natasha and Ben first met in graduate school at UW-Whitewater in their Counselor Education program back in 2014. They both were in the same “Groups: Theory and Practice” class, taught by Professor Norman. They didn’t talk much at first, however, over the years kept up with each another over text. Then one day (or maybe on several occasions…who’s counting?) in 2017, Ben invited Natasha for coffee. About 3 years later (2020), Natasha decided to take Ben up on that cup of coffee, that eventually led into spending adventurous dates together zip lining and axe throwing. They soon discovered that they really appreciated one another’s company, having a lot of similar interests, values, goals, and love for God. Eventually, their adventurous dates developed into something greater, this time Natasha asking Ben about the possibility of the two dating. Time had passed (about a month) and Ben officially asked Natasha to be his girlfriend. Since then, their relationship has been one with beauty, imperfections, meaning, trust, respect, support, and endless adventures that they get to navigate and build together.

On October 29th, 2022, Ben suggested the idea of us taking a walk at the same place (Picnic Point in Madison, WI) we took our first walk on May 29th, 2020. After stopping at a bench to the side to enjoy the scenery and beautiful weather, we stood up to resume our walk when Ben decided to pop the question! It was intimate, sincere, and genuine. I said "yes!" So, here we are now, planning our wedding with our beautiful family and friends to celebrate our special day with us. We hope you all can make it as each and every one of you holds a special place in our hearts. With love, Ben and Natasha