Katherine and Michael's First Photo Together

Katherine Kotora and Michael Carillon's love story began in October 2021 when they met on the Hinge dating app. Their inaugural date took place at the Wild Eagle Steak & Saloon in Broadview Heights. They each decided to try the Nashville hot chicken which proved to be too spicy for their palates.

Initially, Katherine and Michael were in a long-distance relationship, with Katherine residing in Bay Village and Michael in Akron, separated by a 45-minute commute. However, they made an effort to visit each other frequently throughout the week.

In June 2022, Michael relocated to Cleveland to be closer to Katherine, and they began spending most of their time together with Michael practically living at Katherine's house in Bay Village.

In the summer of 2022, Michael made up his mind that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Katherine. He set out to plan a memorable proposal. He desired to propose at a location Katherine adores and incorporate one of the most significant aspects of her life, her students, into the proposal.

On December 10, 2022, Michael popped the question to Katherine during the Wild Winter Lights event at the Cleveland Zoo, with the assistance of Katherine's principal and her students, who created a flip book titled "What Love Is" for Michael to use during his proposal.

Katherine and Michael both decided that they did not want a long engagement and planned out their wedding only 7 months later! They chose the Music Box Supper Club for their reception due to their love of music. They knew they could not wait to celebrate their love for each other with their families and to spend the rest of their life together.

Michael proposing to Katherine