PROPOSAL DATE:
July 12, 2022

PROPOSAL LOCATION:
Sioux Falls, SD

PROPOSAL STORY:
Background:
It all started in an apple orchard in a small town in South Dakota…
I had recently returned from a deployment in Germany. My family was close with another family with a beautiful single daughter. We were introduced to each other and immediately clicked, dating soon after. We spent the first year of our relationship living in separate towns, divided by a 45-minute drive, while she finished college. In the second year of dating, she was assigned to go to the state of Washington for work and we had to learn how to love each other from a great distance. She finally got back home this summer and we were both excited to finally be together and we were both ready to take our relationship to the next level. I had the ring ready before she got home but I needed a plan to surprise her because she knew this was coming soon.

The Proposal:
A week after Katelyn got home, I was scheduled to leave for California for 5 weeks of Army training, which would have been a huge bummer. This is what Katelyn thought the plan was, however, I was informed a couple of weeks before she got back that my training school had changed so now, I was to remain in town for 3 weeks of training. I decided to hold on to this knowledge so that when the original leave date arrived, I left home as though I was traveling to California for 5 weeks. I laid low at home for a day, and I now had the element of surprise. I had a couple of friends invite her out to a beautiful local park by the river for a family photo shoot and encouraged them to have her get some new headshots for work. She now had a reason to dress up nice and I had a cameraman. The stage was set I just needed to be able to sneak up on her the day of the photoshoot. On the day of the photo shoot, I showed up early to get set in a grove of trees nearby the “proposal zone”. The team of friends I had recruited was excellent at getting her in a position for me to sneak up behind her and pop the question. I managed to sneak up right behind her and got down on my knee. I said her name and she turned with a look of shock, confusion, and joy. I asked her to marry me, and she said yes! It was a beautiful moment that we will cherish forever. I want to thank my awesome friends for helping make this proposal surprise a reality. I would also like to thank Michelle from Gunderson’s for helping me pick out the perfect ring for the perfect woman!

THE RING:
14K White Gold Solitaire Ring

WEDDING DATE:
August 11, 2023

WEDDING LOCATION:
Sioux Falls, SD