Emily & Brad
Emily & Brad
Our Story
The story of Emily and Brad
Brad and Emily met in May of 2020. COVID was raging and the world was locked down, but they were on Hinge trying to find their perfect match. Emily was instantly attracted to the funny handsome man who said he also liked Parks and Rec and didn’t understand her irrational fear of killer whales. Their first date the two talked for hours and planned their next date. Emily made Brad watch Princess Diaries on their next date, and To All The Boys I’ve Loved on their third. Anyone who knows Brad, knows he doesn’t like movies and that was a big ask. But he never complained. Emily knew she couldn’t leave him be, and she came back weekly to cook with him, watch old game shows, and laugh.
Eventually Emily learned Brad wanted a dog. She diligently searched and a week later they were in Grand Rapids looking at a “mini” goldendoodle with a broken tail who was melting in the summer heat. They scooped her up, and whisked her off to a life of air conditioning, toys, treats and unlimited pets.
They spent the next year kayaking, taking Maize on walks, cooking and watching trash tv. One day while scrolling through Facebook Brad saw the perfect house. It had a yard for the dogs, wasn’t too far away from their families and had room to grow. They put in an offer and it was accepted!
Emily brought her demon baby Frankie and two obese cats Ruppert and Binx, while Brad brought Maize. The rest has been a beautiful few years of building a life together. From landscaping their yard, planting a garden, decorating for holidays and accumulating quite the collection of inflatable outdoor Christmas characters, it has been nothing short of amazing.
They have traveled together - bbq in Texas, kayaking the Sturgeon, seeing glaciers in Alaska.
They have improved their cooking together - pizza in an Ooni, smoking meats, using a sous vide, breakfast on the blackstone and more.
But mostly, they have grown their love. Through sickness, health, fun times and stressful times Brad and Emily have been there for each other. They are delighted to take this next step towards forever.
The proposal
On December 17th Brad and Emily decided to take advantage of an unseasonably warm day in December. They took a walk at one of their favorite spots, but they weren’t quite done with the day. Brad suggested they go to one of Emily’s favorite places - Potter Park Zoo.
Unbeknownst to Emily, Brad had been walking around with an engagement ring in his pocket all day. Just waiting for the right moment.
As they walked around the zoo, they stopped by the penguins - notorious for doing nothing and refusing to move when people watch them. But they were swimming! There was a young one really showing off. They watched the penguins for a long time before moving on, but towards the end of the day Brad suggested they watch the penguins again.
He asked Emily if she had enjoyed their day, and then he got down on one knee in front of the penguins and asked Emily to marry him. She instantly said yes, and was in absolute shock.
He capped off the day with a surprise Christmas ornament commemorating the day. It was perfect.
