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Wilderness Engagement | Alicia + Cary

“I think I had always been looking for him; for that someone who was perfectly imperfect but perfect for me. When I found him, it felt so natural that I don’t think I was falling in love so much as recognizing a love that was already there and waiting for me, too.”

In February of 2020, after months of planning and deliberating, Cary was finally ready to pop the question. With a custom ring and the perfect location, Cary brought Alicia to the Grand Traverse Commons where they looked over the bay. “When we finally hiked up through the snow, we heard someone yelling “Help! Help!” and hiked back down the hill and found a teenager that was lost. By the time we circled back to him safely, he had disappeared and we could not find where he went. Cary insisted that we hike back up the hill, and after much nervous (and adorable) fidgeting, he got down on one knee in the snow and asked me to marry him. I nodded enthusiastically, but forgot to actually say ‘Yes!’ for several minutes. It was perfect, quiet, and just about the two of us, which we love.”

They say the love of a soulmate is powerful enough to motivate you to “meet your soul”. For Alicia and Cary, the ups and downs of challenging years brought something not only wonderful but deep and profound.

“I can’t say that there was any precise ‘ah ha’ moment where I realized that she was ‘the one’. It was more of a gradual understanding. Throughout our years of dating, we went through many significant ups and downs. Over time as we grew together and learned from one another, I came to rely on her more and more and realized that she was the perfect foil to my weaknesses and amplified my strengths. When I finally accepted that she was someone who I could trust with any and everything I had to throw at her and know with confidence that she would always be there for me, I knew that she was the one.”

You two are an inspiration. Congratulations on your engagement, Alicia + Cary!