How We Met: Matt & I met through a mutual friend, Craig, heading to a bonfire out in Goddard, KS. Recalling that summer night, June 2, 2012, I remember climbing up into Craig’s truck, along with my cousin Mallory (Maid of Honor), turned to the back seat to say hey to the friends Craig had brought, Bryce (Matt’s Best Man) was one of them and the other was Matt! He gave me his handsome smile and the rest is history. We spent every moment together that summer, it was filled with wonderful memories!
how they asked: Christmas Day started the same as it always does for me, family time, opening presents, enjoying brunch, etc. I had planned to be at Matt’s house by 1, so I got ready and headed that way! Meanwhile he had been texting me about how excited he was for me to open his gift to me because he went the creative route this year! I was anxious too, but little did I know what was coming!
I walked in, he had all of the presents organized, mine were here, his sister’s were there, it was funny, but yet I didn’t think anything of it. He wanted me to open his first, but being my stubbon self, I pushed it aside because I wanted to save it. I didn’t know that Sam, my future brother-in-law, had already started recording on Matt’s phone, so I had already messed up his plan within minutes of arriving!
After opening one present, I think it was his parent’s present to me, he insisted I go ahead and open his! Here it comes, I unwrap the shoe box, see a gray WSU sweatshirt of his (looking very confused) I handed it straight to him saying “Isn’t this yours?” he laughed, grabbed it and threw it to the side. I didn’t realize that there was something else in the box, an engraved wooden frame that at the top has a teacher quote, and at the bottom had the name “Mrs. Koerner”
THAT IS WHEN I STARTED TO FREAK OUT – after reading the name, I glanced for a second at the picture in the frame, Matt dressed up in a suit, down on one knee, and holding a ring box – this all happened so fast – he was right next to me and had slid down to one knee – if I remember it correctly he smiled and said “I tricked you, Will You Marry Me?”
I whimpered YES of course!
It was the perfect day, he had planned it all out, asked my dad for permission to marry me, made sure it was photographed and there was a video, and had tried to make sure my nails were done (by try I mean my mom had taken me the Saturday before Christmas to get our nails done, told me not to peel them off, but after Christmas Eve Mass I thought I was in the clear so I did).
I will forever cherish the simple, yet absolutely perfect way he proposed! That frame is inspiration for me now, to finish up my teaching degree, and will sit on my desk as a reminder that “Teachers inspire the hopes of today and the dreams of tomorrow!”
