Danielle + Mike’s story began when they were seventeen. “We both attended different high schools and met when we were seventeen at a restaurant with mutual friends. Mike claims I stared at him the entire time with big doe eyes… I beg to differ! A few months later, we crossed paths at the Livonia Spree. We watched fire works, acted like the teenagers we were, continued to enjoy those summer days and summer nights quickly becoming inseparable. The rest is history!”
As time went on, life brought with it many changes and moves. “Moving to Chicago was a big adjustment for me. I was able to grow as a person, a professional, and as a partner. During my first year, Mike challenged me, encouraged me, and always believed in me. It was a beautiful reminder that he was and always will be my best friend. I knew then I didn’t want a life without him by my side. I’ll forever be grateful for our time in the Windy City and what it did for our relationship.”
“What really made me know our relationship was so strong that I wanted to (and needed to) spend the rest of my life with Danielle was when she moved to Chicago. Within the first year I got to learn who Danielle truly is and how strong we are as a couple.”
Soon it became only a matter of time before Mike would ask Danielle to marry him. “We were on vacation in Arizona with two of our friends. We set out early morning to hike down the Grand Canyon. After hours of hiking back we were almost to the top when Mike grabbed my hand and took me to a secluded look out over the canyon. As we walked further out, he mentioned how this trip has been such a great adventure. He started being sentimental, and I knew at that moment something was up. He then commented that for every adventure life had to offer he wanted to embark on together, forever. He then got down on one knee, said a few personal and incredibly meaningful words and asked me to marry him. I’m pretty sure I yelled yes so loud people heard it across the canyon! It was an out of body experience, just him and I in the moment. It was perfect, and I was SO surprised. He asked for my dads blessing in person prior to our trip which meant the world to me. I don’t know how he got away with it!”
Congratulations on your engagement, Danielle + Mike!
