After almost a month of knowing that an upcoming episode of “Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings” was going to feature their marriage proposal, former Blugolds Alyssa Noll and Jesse Kreger said they set their alarms for 5 a.m. on Feb. 21: the day of the episode’s release. 

Noll said when their alarms went off, she and Kreger went to their couch and watched the proposal that had taken place months earlier, in June, on Mendenhall Glacier in Alaska. 

“We watched it twice before work,” Noll said, laughing. 

The episode, titled “Alaska to Marry Me,” revealed Kreger’s journey to surprise Noll with a marriage proposal on a Disney Wonder Alaskan Cruise.

Korri McFann, the marketing director for “Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings,” said Disney’s love for “happily ever afters” is what inspired the “Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings” series because it became a platform to share love stories with the world. 

“We receive thousands of inquiries from couples hoping to share their personal love stories,” McFann said. “We try to showcase a broad spectrum of epic proposals and captivating nuptials.”

Kreger said he had initially been planning to propose to Noll last fall at Disney World, but when Noll sent him a Facebook post with an application through “Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings,” he changed his plans. 

“She sent it to me kind of as a joke, thinking I really wouldn’t do anything with it at all,” Kreger said, “but I did this, unbenounced to her.”

After he submitted the application, “Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings” reached out to Kreger, he said, and asked him if he would be interested in this opportunity.

“It was a resounding yes from me,” Kreger said.

The planning proceeded from there. 

Noll’s parents and sister were instructed to invite Noll to go on the Alaskan cruise with them for a family vacation, as a part of Kreger’s plan. Then, a few days into the excursion, Kreger, his mom and his sister would fly out to Alaska to surprise Noll. 

On the day Kreger was going to propose, Noll and her family took a helicopter to Mendenhall Glacier to go on what Noll thought was going to be a glacier hike.

However, as the helicopter descended toward the ground, Noll said she immediately noticed a large sign that said “Will you marry me?” She said she did not believe it was for her until the helicopter descended even lower and she saw Kreger’s face.  

“I just was feeling overwhelmed in the best way. I just couldn’t wait to get out of the helicopter,” Noll said. “I saw the TV cameras and it kind of clicked, but most importantly, Jesse was there and he was going to ask me the greatest question, I just could not wait to get to him.” 

In the “Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings” episode, Kreger said he and Noll “identify with Disney on a very personal level,” which he said explains their admiration for the organization. 

“We believe Disney stands for genuine happiness and kind-hearted spirit,” Kreger said. “We both try to live our lives exactly like that day-to-day. You know, just pure fun and enjoyment that Disney brings is what we usually want to bring to everyone around us.”

Noll said she also did the Disney College Program in 2015 where she worked in merchandise and retail at Disney World for six months.

“I had so much fun interacting with guests from all over the world,” Noll said.

Even though they lived about 15 minutes away from each other when they were growing up and two blocks away from each other when they were going to school at UW-Eau Claire, Kreger and Noll said they didn’t meet until Kreger was two weeks away from graduating.

They met at a celebration for a mutual friend’s birthday. Kreger said Noll was going to be graduating in the spring, only a couple months after him, so they were at similar points in life. 

“It was a time where both of us were planning to move on to different stages of our lives and it was just kinda crazy,” Kreger said. 

Now about three years later, Kreger said he and Noll are grateful to Disney for making this episode and giving them something they can always look back on to remember “one of the best days” of both of their lives.

In the moments before Noll landed on Mendenhall Glacier, Kreger said he practiced what he was going to say in his head about 100 times. 

“I don’t think I still said it right either,” Kreger said.

Noll was quick to respond: “You said it perfect.” 

Van Sistine can be reached at [email protected].