Zoie Palmer
+ Benjamin
VandenWymelenberg

July 9, 2021 | Wedding | Cambridge, MN

July 10, 2021 | House Party | Wayzata, MN

#BenAndZoieSittingInATree

January 2013

How We Met

Ben and Zoie both cheered on the University of Minnesota co-ed cheer team, and although they were never on the team at the same time, they knew of each other from there.

Many years later, Ben approached Zoie at his friend’s New Years Eve party trying to spark up conversation, and that was an epic fail. She gave him the cold shoulder :)

Many years after that, Zoie slid into Ben's DM’s. He was reading the book “ The Law of Divine Compensation” in Saudi Arabia and she felt like that was an opportune time to start chatting.

After a few months of talking, they met up after Zoie got done working a night shift at the jail. They went to the only bar that was open at the time. After just a few drinks Zoie ended up offending someone at the bar and they got kicked out.

Their adventurous and random dates were all just pre-cursors for how the rest of their relationship was going to go.

February 27, 2020

The Proposal

On a Long weekend vacation to Kauai, HI with close friends to celebrate what Zoie thought was their birthday celebrations... The first morning the crew headed to Hanakapiai Falls for a 7 mile mountain hike. Once they reached the waterfall, Zoie headed to the rocks to take a nap and enjoy the waterfall sounds. Little did she know, the crew was getting ready for THE BIG MOMENT. Ben yelled over to Zoie to take a picture and proceeded to take the most awkward picture in the history of their relationship (which I might add, is quite awkward as 99% of the pictures they take normally together are quite awkward). Ben was very adamant that he needed to “Captain Morgan” stance in their picture. But don’t worry that stance didn’t last long, as Zoie told him to cut it out and he then stumbled to one knee on the rocks to propose. Of course she said yes and they celebrated afterwards with champagne and beer at the waterfall!

On the hike back everyone stopped to take a swim in the clearly marked no swimming area, where Zoie nearly lost her new fiancé to the massive waves and undertow. After swimming for his life, and their entire group of friends standing on the shore pretty sure they wouldn’t be seeing him again, he got out at the nick of time with only 7 missing toes (JK he has all of his toes).

They spent the rest of the week celebrating with their close friends, adventuring in Kauai.