Not many people would have guessed a blind date at a Farmhouse fraternity function would have ended in an engagement and, inevitably, a marriage. But for one K-State couple, that story became a reality.
It all started two years ago, in September, when Tricia Brensing, senior in communication sciences and disorders, and Jeremy Holliday, senior in elementary education, met. Things went well for them, and they were dating by December of their sophomore year. Jeremy set the date for the engagement as Sept. 28. He had all of their family members in on the surprise.
Brensing said she knew she would get the diamond out of her grandmother’s wedding ring when she was going to get engaged. She knew that if her grandma was not wearing her ring, she was going to be getting engaged soon. Little did Tricia know that while she was in South Africa this past summer, her mother had helped Holliday get the diamond out of the ring.
“My mom took my grandma’s diamond and put a fake cubic zirconium diamond into her [ring],” Brensing said.
A few weeks ago, Holliday told Brensing to save Sept. 28 for a date night. She had no clue she was going to get engaged. Brensing was all ready to go out for her date when Sierra Trussell, senior in kinesiology and Brensing’s roommate, gave her a note from Holliday.
“At the bottom [of the note] it said I would have to find him, and Sierra would be my chauffeur,” Brensing said.
After she read the note, Brensing said, Trussel pulled out the first clue from her purse. Holliday had written all the clues in poem form.
The first clue sent her off to Farmhouse fraternity, where they had first met at a date party. Her aunt, uncle and cousin were all at the first location. From there, the second clue sent her to Bill Snyder Family Stadium, where her grandparents were waiting. The third clue sent her to her sorority house, Pi Beta Phi.
“This is when I knew [he was going to propose sometime that night] because I got out of the car and [there] was my brother and sister and their whole families and my nieces,” Brensing said. “So, I started crying, because I was like, ‘Oh my gosh I think he’s proposing because why are they here.’”
The fourth clue brought them back to Farmhouse. Holliday’s seven siblings were there to greet her. The fifth clue led her to the couple’s favorite restaurant, Umi, where she saw his parents and his grandma. The sixth clue sent Brensing to the church she and Holliday attend and teach bible school. There, she found her parents and her grandma. The last clue sent her to a hill Brensing and Holliday often go to talk and get away. There, Holliday proposed.
After the proposal, all of their family and friends went back to Brensing’s aunt and uncle’s house for the engagement party. Brensing found out that there had been two secret photographers at each location. The photographers were able to capture the moments when she got to each location.
Lauren Henricks, senior in communications and one of Brensing’s close friends, was in on the surprise. Henricks said she wasn’t surprised about the engagement.
“I wasn’t surprised, because that’s a total Jeremy thing to do — go above and beyond,” Henricks said. “And it fits the personalities of both of them.”
In an interview, Brensing and Holliday shared what they loved about each other, and both had nothing but glowing things to say. Holliday talked about three major things both of them value and what made him love Brensing.
“Faith is very important to us,” Holliday said. “We are on the same page with living to serve a higher purpose. Along with that, [I value my] family, and she values hers a lot. [We are] very much people people. Going out and seeing people and always getting stopped. She appreciates people.”
Brensing said she agreed on those three things as well.
They are planning a wedding date for this summer in Kansas City, where Brensing is from.
“I feel like he brings out the best in me, and I know that whatever happens in our life and…wherever we are, there’s going to be scary things that happen all the time,” Brensing said. “Big things we [will] go through together, but I know that whatever I am doing, it will be better with him.”