Our Story

From first meeting to proposal, if you've ever wondered about Andrew and Cassanndra's story, this is the place to learn it all!

Meeting

The story starts in May 2024, when two souls who otherwise may never have come in contact somehow did. A fact that they now feel was nothing short of divine intervention.

Cassanndra direct messaged Andrew first, intrigued by the warmth he managed to portray even just through text. They shared a bit about their lives and found a shared reverence for nature and the natural world. It was from this seed that their love eventually flowered. Exchanging numbers didn't take long, and they found themselves texting for hours and hours.

Louie's Special Present

By the time they had their first video call, it had already felt like they’d known each other for years. They both stared at each other in awe, with breaks of laughter that had them doubled over. Andrew’s cat, Louie, of course had to make an appearance during this video call. Cassanndra and Andrew's laughter was suddenly interrupted by a look of horror on Andrew’s face as he witnessed his fluffy orange cat hurling up the entrails of a mouse. The date had to be stopped while he cleaned it up. Cassanndra was practically losing it with laughter by that point and Andrew was extremely embarrassed. This was just one of many entertaining interruptions by Louie within their relationship. The rest of their online dates went off mostly without a hitch!

And then somehow...

Over the summer, the two found new ways to spend time together while apart. They did things like playing video games, mailing packages, talking on the phone for hours, more video calls, sharing lots of pictures of each other's outings, and exchanging music. By August 2024, Andrew and Cassanndra found themselves in a weird situation. Somehow, without ever meeting, they had fallen for each other. It sounded so strange on paper, so unlikely, and yet it felt so natural. Cassanndra confessed first, never being one to mince words or deny her feelings. And Andrew returned the sentiment shortly after. Now what? They knew the next step, without a doubt, was to meet each other.

The Great Trek

Cassanndra’s first Great Trek to Andrew wasn’t an easy one.

First, she took a 60 minute bus to the nearest ferry boat station.

Then, a 90 minute ferry from Vancouver Island to Vancouver.

Once in Vancouver, she took another bus for 90 minutes to the nearest sky train station.

From there, she took a quick 15 minute sky train to the airport. Three hours early, just to be safe!

She waited and eventually boarded her plane to Denver, Colorado!

After a few hours long layover, she flew from Denver to Chicago!

After another layover, finally Cassanndra was in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where Andrew had been eagerly arriving, pulling up to the airport parking to pick her up.

First Meeting, October 2024

Their first meeting went seamlessly. No awkwardness. It felt like the most natural thing in the world. The two of them went out to Newaygo to see the Autumn leaves change at a rural cabin. They made meals together, talked endlessly, and just lived in the moment enjoying nature. Upon returning to Rockford, they explored the woods behind Andrews house and later had their first date at Eastern Kille. Time went by very fast, and before they knew it Cassanndra had to go home already! It was a short visit, but an amazing one. And they were planning the next trip before Cassanndra even got home!

1/1

Second Visit

By the second visit, Cassanndra and Andrew were already certain about each other. On this trip, Cassanndra got to meet all of Andrew's amazing family and friends. Each one of them was incredibly kind and made her feel very welcomed. Cassanndra and Andrew also celebrated winter activities together: looking at the lights at Frederik Meijer Gardens, going to a German Christmas market, and even making wreaths together!

It was during this trip that Andrew took Cassanndra to Adoration for her first time. She felt so amazed to see the beauty of Saint Patrick Catholic Church, it brought her to tears! It was that day that solidified Cassanndra's decision to convert to Catholicism. The following Sunday he took her to her first Mass, another absolutely beautiful moment that changed her life.

Since this visit was longer than the last one, they had much more time to make memories together. It was truly a magical couple of weeks. One of many that they would remember forever.

Matching alpacas from the Christmas Market

1/1

First trip of 2025

Thanks to Andrew asking a big question, this might have been the most special trip for them yet! Cassanndra had planned a month-long visit and brought her dog, Fuji. During this trip they exchanged belated Christmas gifts, braved the flu together, cooked plenty of meals, hung out with his friends, went antique shopping, and more!

Near the end of the trip, they took a trip to the Gulf Shores with Andrew's family. It was an amazing time where Cassanndra was able to bond with and really get to know everybody. From aligators, to poolside bars, to nature walks, it was truly an amazing time!

On the way home Cassanndra and Andrew spent 24 hours in Nashville and had the most amazing night eating BBQ and listening to live music at Rippy's Honky Tonk! It was overall a perfect trip and a great way to end this visit!

The Proposal

On January 28th 2025, after going to church and having brunch with Andrew's family, Cassanndra and Andrew took a walk with Fuji in the woods behind the house. Andrew's favorite place had quickly become Cassanndra's as well. The trees are beautiful, the quiet serene, and the wildlife are constantly skittering around out there. It always brings them both a great sense of calm. On that day the snow was heavy on the ground. Fuji led the way, plowing a path with her tiny legs through the thick powder. As they walked, they eventually came to a clearing. Up above them, they heard a flapping noise. They raised their eyes to the sky only to see a beautiful snowy owl beating its wings as it flew away. Interestingly, snowy owls are predominantly found in Canada but migrate to the United States during the winter months. Fuji was overly confident and attempted to chase the owl through the woods, forcing Cassanndra to run after her. Unknowingly, Fuji has kind of just ruined the moment Andrew was intending to take advantage of. But it didn't take away the magic of the moment. When they both came back, Andrew got down on one knee in the snow and asked Cassanndra to marry him. She gave him a resounding YES and wrapped her arms around him tightly.

It was a private, beautiful moment in a place that was very special to both of them. They went inside, had some hot chocolate, and started planning their lives together.

The Aftermath

Following the proposal, Andrew came out to Canada to meet Cassanndra's friends and family. They drove from Vancouver and Cassanndra showed him as much of Vancouver Island as they could possibly fit in one week! They ate poutine and watched a seal play in the ocean, went on hikes, walked on the beach, had drinks in a heritage home turned bar, went to Cathedral Grove, Coombs, The Royal BC Museum, and saw the parliament building! On one of the days, Andrew proposed a second time with an upgraded ring after a hike together at the beautiful Goldstream Provincial Park! It was a jaw dropping custom blue diamond ring with their initials engraved on the inside. Cassanndra's friend had come along and snapped some photos for Andrew. Now they were able to have their private proposal as well as one with pictures!

They had been walking around the park, admiring all the giant trees before walking through a tunnel and taking a steep hike up a hill which wound it's way up and around a giant waterfall. After some time they had started to cross a bridge that was above the waterfall when Andrew turned to Cassanndra and got down on his knee a second time. The water was wooshing while he pulled out a ring box, massive trees looming above them. Cassanndra said YES once again with the biggest grin on her face.

When the trip was done, Andrew and Cassanndra went to Vancouver to spend a day exploring the city. They explored, played pinball, and went shopping before catching a flight back to Michigan together to extend their trip and have another visit. This time 2 months long!

Andrew and Cassanndra cannot wait to experience everything that God has in store for them in their married lives. And they thank everyone who has been involved in their story thus far!

1/2