The most special fishing lure | Bryan & Maddy's engagement
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Written by Amber - |
I first met Maddy when I worked with her a few years ago. Her witty, laid back personality easily added her to my must-have friends list. After she introduced us to Bryan, it was obvious that they were perfect for each other! They're not exactly sure when they "officially" started dating, so they just picked 08-08-2008 to make it easy to remember. "It was around that time—early August—so we made it easy," Bryan said.
As you look through these image highlights of Bryan & Maddy's Kenosha engagement session from this summer, I hope you enjoy the details of their love story...
Maddy has always been a volleyball player. In 2008, she came home from college for winter break to see her dad's team play. "It was love at first sight according to Maddy," Bryan explained. "She noticed/stalked me one night, with her friend Stephanie, when I was playing volleyball at Jesse Oaks with her dad. At the time, I didn't really know who she was, other than Dennis' daughter. It wasn't until that summer that I really started to get to know her."
"Once I got to know her, I really started liking her," Bryan said. "Plus, I was friends with her dad already. Our first date, to me at least, was what completely sold me on Maddy. After volleyball one night we decided to go to Denny's. Nobody else wanted to go, so we went, and we literally spent 3 hours going through our iPods, talking about music that we liked."
"I thought he was so cute! I loved how easy he was to talk to and how he made me laugh," Maddy said. "He is still a cutie that makes me laugh but now I know how generous and caring he can be." They've now been together for 5 and a half fun-filled, adventurous years.
This proposal story is one of my favorites! Maddy explained, "We were fishing on the first night of the annual Brumm family vacation in Nevis, Minnesota. I was in the boat between Bryan and his parents but I wasn't having any luck with the fish. Bryan asked, 'Do you want to try a special lure?' I found out later, this was the code word to get the cameras ready. When Bryan held out the fishing line with my 'special lure' I didn't even realize he was kneeling."
Maddy continued with a grin, "The first thought that popped in my head when I saw the shiny ring was, 'How do I put the worm on that?' I finally realized what was happening when he asked, 'Will you marry me?' I smiled, cried, and said, 'Yes!' After lots of fishing puns like Maddy caught a keeper and That's the catch of the day, I called my mom to wish her a happy birthday and tell her the good news. I didn't catch any more fish that night but I didn't mind."
Thinking back on the past, Bryan's opinion of Maddy hasn't really changed over the years. "My first impression of Maddy was that she was a fun girl to hangout with. She was up for anything fun, trying new things (not a stick in the mud) and not high maintenance. She really hasn't changed. Work and life may be a little more stressful, but she is still the same basic person that I first met."
"I love how Bryan makes me laugh and brightens my day," Maddy said. When I asked if there were any quirks about him she loved, she answered, "I often find a lone sock around the house because Bryan thinks one sock on and one sock off regulates his body temperature." Haha! Bryan said his favorite thing about Maddy is her butt. "It's nice," he said smiling. He quickly followed with, "And she knows how to have a good time!"
These two do everything together—with the exception of watching TV. Bryan says he finds other things to do when Maddy needs her "bad TV fix." Ha! Mainly, you'll find them playing volleyball together. They are very active and adventurous, enjoying walks, bike rides, sky diving, boating, hanging out with family & friends, and sampling good beer and wine.
Maddy and Bryan actively work at keeping their relationship alive. "We like to experience new things together to avoid getting in a day-to-day rut. I always try to thank Bryan even if its something small like mowing the lawn," Maddy said. "I think we have a good balance of give and take." Bryan agreed, adding, "We're really good at compromising and we appreciate when one does something nice for the other, no matter how small."
They have big families, so they've got a fairly big wedding in mind for September 6, 2014. "We want a family-friendly wedding that’s polished—not too fancy, but not too casual. We are doing all the planning ourselves," Maddy said. They agreed that finding the venue was a little stressful, but their choice of The Club at Strawberry Creek (Kenosha, WI) will be perfect!
For a honeymoon, they haven't quite decided yet, but they know it will be somewhere unique. "Our first choice is Australia/New Zealand, but anywhere that I can go fishing on the ocean is good for me!" Bryan said. Alaska is also one of their dream location options for a honeymoon.
UPDATE: New Zealand it is! Their honeymoon destination has been decided—what an amazing experience that will be!
I asked Bryan and Maddy what they were looking forward to in marriage. Maddy is looking forward to building a life and a family together. Bryan answered honestly, "For people to stop asking questions about when I am going to ask Maddy to marry me....which will likely turn in to, 'When are you and Maddy going to have kids?'"
I love their sound advice for other couples. Maddy says, "Say ‘I love you’ everyday and don’t forget why you fell in love. Learn how to communicate and put yourself in the other person’s shoes." Bryan says, "Learn to have fun with your partner. Do things you both like, and be intimate!"
To see all of Bryan & Maddy's engagement session images, check out their full gallery here »