Mitchell & Kathleen

How We Got Here

Our Story

Tulips, swing dancing, and everything in between.

The beginning of us

Every couple has a few moments that seem small at the time, but later feel like the start of everything. For us, it began in 2021 at a homemade pizza party for Kathleen's roommate's birthday.

It was the middle of a hard season: COVID, medical school, and all the uncertainty that came with both. Somehow that night still felt light. Between the conversation, the laughter, and probably too much pizza, something clicked.

At one point, Kathleen started to nod off, and Mitch challenged her to a squat competition to keep her awake. It was completely spontaneous, a little ridiculous, and the first time the two of us really had a one-on-one moment in the middle of a crowded party. Looking back, it felt a lot like the beginning of us: easy, playful, and natural from the start.

From first dates to long drives

Not long after that came our first real date: swing dancing in a baseball field at sunset.

It was not exactly smooth. Kathleen had been dancing for years, and Mitch very much had not. The date was a little awkward, but in the best way - the kind of awkward that becomes part of the story later because it was honest and real and ours.

As our relationship grew, so did the time we spent together. In a season when much of the world still felt paused, some of our favorite memories came from long drives with no real destination, just hours of conversation, laughter, and learning each other more fully.

The first trip that changed everything

In May 2021, we took our first trip together to Holland, Michigan.

It was one of those weekends that ends up meaning more than you realize at the time. The drive gave us hours together away from the usual routines of school and life, and Holland itself felt like an escape: beautiful, peaceful, and full of possibility.

With the tulips in bloom and spring at its peak, the whole trip felt romantic in a way that stayed with us long after we came home. That weekend became one of the turning points in our story. Holland came to symbolize something bigger for us: escape, romance, and growth.

Mitchell and Kathleen sitting together in a large wooden shoe at Holland Tulip Festival in 2021
Mitchell and Kathleen sitting together in a large wooden shoe in Holland during their engagement trip in 2024

Back to Holland

As the years went on, we walked through a lot together: the weight of medical training, the uncertainty of COVID, long hospital shifts, family loss, and all the challenges that come with building a life in the middle of demanding seasons. Through it all, our relationship became a place of steadiness, encouragement, and home.

So when it came time to plan a proposal, Holland felt like the only place that made sense. The timing lined up almost perfectly: a brief pause after medical school graduation, just before a trip we had planned, and right before the move to begin residency. Returning there felt full-circle.

Mitch planned the weekend carefully and even invited Kathleen's childhood best friend to secretly join so she could capture the moment. Together, we walked from downtown to Windmill Island Gardens, wandering through the flowers and taking photos along the way.

Not everything went exactly to plan. Some of the tulip fields had been damaged by the weather, and many of the blooms had already lost their petals, so we had to keep searching for a spot that still felt right. In the end, that somehow made the moment even more meaningful: imperfect, real, and still beautiful.

When we finally found the fullest part of the field, we walked down one of the flower-lined paths, and Mitch asked Kathleen to marry him. She said yes through tears, laughter, and a very emotional hug.

The next chapter

Four years, two medical degrees, countless hospital shifts, family highs and lows, and two kittens later, we are so grateful for everything that brought us here.

Now we are building our life together in Ann Arbor and getting ready for the next chapter, and we could not be more excited to celebrate it with all of you.

Thank you for being part of our story and for being part of this wedding weekend.

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Love,
Mitchell & Katy