National Parks travel-study leads to impromptu wedding for UW-Whitewater couple

July 05, 2024

College is a place of connections and meaningful relationships. For some University of Wisconsin-Whitewater students, that can mean the start or continuation of a love story.

For one couple — Hailey and Allen Kaplan — a university trip to a national park turned into a life milestone. With students as witnesses and their professor presiding, it was a wedding to remember in one of the most beautiful locations on Earth.

The Kaplans’ story began in 2017 at Nicolet Union High School in Glendale, where Hailey Ellis and Allen Kaplan met by chance in a study hall class. Their relationship began that day, and they eventually began dating, their fondness for each other growing and continuing into their college years at UW-Whitewater.

Despite their majors in very different career fields — Hailey studied supply chain operations management, while Allen majored in environmental science — their closeness as they navigated university life was unwavering.

When asked about why they both chose UW-Whitewater, Allen mentioned how they appreciated that the campus is visually appealing, and the size was what they were looking for.

“The size of the school allowed us to build those close relationships with professors,” Hailey agrees. “Much like the one we had with Professor John Frye.”

Frye, an associate professor of geography, geology, and environmental science, leads the department’s extreme weather trips. It was on one of these trips that Allen met Dr. Frye, establishing a connection that would last far beyond the time they spent together tracking the development of storms in the Great Plains.

Allen’s and Hailey’s paths would continue to cross with Frye’s as Allen continued to study environmental science. Hailey eventually chose to pursue a geography minor due to her positive experiences with Dr. Frye and the department. When two teaching assistant roles became available for the department’s 2023 National Parks trip to Yellowstone and Grand Teton, Hailey and Allen gladly stepped up to fill those positions.

“I used to work at health services with Julie Starr, and she happened to be friends with the previous leader of the national parks trips, Dr. George Clokey,” said Hailey, recounting how her and Allen’s experience with the trips had begun. “It was a three-week, life-changing experience. When Dr. Clokey retired that year, Dr. Frye took over as the trip leader.”

By the time of the final National Parks trip they assisted with, Hailey and Allen graduated from UW-Whitewater in May 2023 and were ready to take the next step in their relationship. A wedding was scheduled for September 2024 at Mount Rainier. In an initial meeting for the trip to Yellowstone and Grand Teton, the couple half-jokingly suggested to Frye that he should be the officiant at their wedding since he had been an important source of support for them through their years at UW-Whitewater. With the fullest sincerity, Frye responded enthusiastically that he would be honored to do so.

Even when we believe plans to be completely solidified in the way we had always imagined them, there is an undeniable spontaneousness that being out in nature can inspire.

Hailey explained how while on a hike that the group took during the Yellowstone trip, they came across a spot that provided a wide view of the lush landscape. The specific place struck her and Allen with its beauty, and as the couple gazed out upon the hills blanketed in sunlit trees, Hailey felt the sudden urge to ask Allen a question.

“I asked Allen if he wanted to get married here, and he said yes. From there, it all fell perfectly into place,” Hailey said.

The couple ventured into Cody, Wyoming, about one hour from Yellowstone, and found proper wedding attire. They announced their plan to get married to the students on the trip, who were fully supportive of Allen and Hailey’s decision, crafting a marriage hand-tie for the couple to use during the ceremony.

 

 

Standing once again in the spot that moved the couple to a spontaneity equally as beautiful, Hailey and Allen were married by Frye on August 6, 2023. After the ceremony, the students surprised the newlyweds by tossing leaves up into the air as they descended, a memory the couple fondly looks back on.

Wyoming is known for being one of the top places for viewing the Milky Way on the few moonless nights it is visible. So when the unmatched view of this astrological event was displayed above on the Kaplans’ wedding night, it seemed as though even the sky was celebrating with them. They took the opportunity to have their first dance under the stars, an unexpected experience that made it even more special.

Pictured, right: Students on the National Parks travel study toss leaves into the air while the Kaplans walk back following the wedding ceremony on Aug. 6, 2023.

When reflecting on their time spent together at UW-Whitewater, both Hailey and Allen agree that a lot of their quality time spent together was made up of long walks around campus at night, talking about anything and everything. Some days, they would walk through entire buildings, lost in conversation and each other’s company. From nighttime strolls during their early college years to their surprise starlit dance, the couple’s love for each other grew as they did.

“Meeting Hailey has shaped me into the person that I am today. It has made me more confident,” said Allen.

Hailey reciprocated, “I would not be the person that I am now without Allen.”

The Kaplans both now live in Madison, Wisconsin. Hailey works as a branch operations manager at Fastenal, and Allen is employed by the Dane County Department of Environmental Health. They agree that their time at UW-Whitewater provided them with valuable experiences that gave them the opportunity to explore their interests, and, most importantly, allowed their love to flourish.

UW-Whitewater’s 2024 Natural History and Environmental Change in National Parks faculty-led travel-study is scheduled for July 20-August 4.