Our Story

Where did it all begin? It’s a bit of a journey. Tyler moved to Cedar City on July 13th and attended church the next day. He found the building online but didn’t realize it was the wrong ward. A member of the bishopric, Kalin Olsen, noticed he was new, chatted with him, and pointed him to the right ward. After church, Kalin introduced Tyler to Kaitlin at a linger longer by saying, “Kaitlin, this is Tyler. He’s new. You should talk to him,” before asking about a game night at her place. Kaitlin awkwardly invited Tyler since he now knew about it.

Once school started, life got busy, but Tyler and Kaitlin started talking more—especially after institute in the parking lot. Texting became frequent, and Tyler suspected she might be interested when she asked if he was at a BYU game (a great one, by the way). She claims she had not considered being interested at that point, but… Still unsure, Tyler kept inviting her to things—always with others—because he was nervous about asking her out and didn’t want to risk his new social circle.

One night after institute, they talked about BYU football and the idea of a watch party for the BYU-Utah game. Tyler organized most of it, Kaitlin hosted, and BYU won. Kaitlin tolerated Tyler’s game-day behavior—mostly.

The next day, Tyler was working on his calling when Hannah, a friend, asked if he liked anyone. He eventually admitted he liked Kaitlin. Hannah encouraged him to act on it, so they made a plan. Tyler had an extra ticket to the next game and used it as an excuse to spend more time with Kaitlin—though he insisted it wasn’t a date (spoiler: it was).

Later that day, Kaitlin mentioned needing to set up chairs at her school for a Veterans Day program. Tyler offered to help, and afterward, they went to a devotional and a game night. At the end, Tyler finally asked her to the game, and she agreed. They planned a quick trip to Provo—visit family, attend the game, and return.

That week, they spent several evenings together through group activities—FHE, a temple trip, cookie judging, institute, and a movie (Tyler made sure to sit next to her). Saturday came, and they visited family and friends before the game. BYU lost, and Tyler nervously didn’t ask for a photo—though Kaitlin hinted at it.

After the trip, Tyler asked Kaitlin on a real date. She said she’d let him know—maybe Tuesday—but Tyler already knew her schedule and doubted it. Sunday at church, Tyler sat next to her, but she didn’t bring it up. Monday passed, and finally around midnight, Kaitlin texted that she wanted to go out but wasn’t sure when.

They ended up attending a student dance performance and trivia night with friends. The next day, they decorated Kaitlin’s Christmas tree before Tyler left for Thanksgiving and family time—his sister had just returned from her mission.

Not wanting the week apart to pass without a gesture, Tyler left flowers on Kaitlin’s doorstep for her to find after a long field trip to Salt Lake with her 5th graders. Kaitlin freaked out, screamed and paced in her kitchen and went back and forth from calling her best friend and her mom and asking what she should do. Eventually, she was brave enough to text Tyler and tell him thanks. 

Over Thanksgiving Break, Tyler and Kaitlin kept in touch and quickly realized they missed each other. Not long after, they officially started dating. December was full of time together—fun dates, holiday activities, and meeting each other’s families (thankfully, no major red flags there).

By late February, future plans were a regular topic, and they went ring shopping. Tyler ordered the ring soon after, but Kaitlin started getting suspicious. With help from Kalin and Hannah (who had a hand in getting them together in the first place), a double date was planned for March 17th. When Tyler and Kaitlin arrived at the restaurant, they got a text: the other couple would be 30–45 minutes late. They decided to take a walk up the canyon, and at the end of the trail, Tyler got down on one knee. Kaitlin’s first reaction: “I hope this isn’t a joke”—followed by a “yes.” The “late” couple appeared moments later with a camera—turns out they’d been photographing the whole thing.

Since then, life’s been a whirlwind of wedding prep, but Tyler and Kaitlin continue to grow closer and support each other. They’re excited for what’s ahead—and even more excited to face it together.