We're Getting Married

Claire and Patrick grew up in the same town, went to the same high school, and even graduated from Maine South together in 2012—but somehow, they never met. Patrick was the star athlete: varsity pitcher, all-state football champ, and a fixture on the field. Claire, meanwhile, was immersed in the arts and academics—chamber orchestra, choirs, plays, mock trial, French club, and her nationally ranked Illinois State Constitution Team. Their worlds, though close in proximity, never quite collided. After high school, Patrick went east to Babson College in Boston while Claire stayed closer to home at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Years later, both found themselves living just a block apart in Logan Square, Chicago, without ever crossing paths. It wasn’t until November 2022—at their 10-year high school reunion, of all places—that fate (and their mutual friend, Matt Gieser) finally intervened. At Hubbard Inn, between stories of the past and laughter over how they had somehow never met before, sparks flew. Their first year of dating was a series of long-distance trips, weddings, Zoom movie dates and a couple surprise visits! Claire made the cross-country move to join Patrick in Austin in December 2023—Luna, their four-legged daughter, in tow. They began to build their new life in the Lonestar state. After countless trail runs, cold-plunges, sauna sessions, and food-truck adventures… on December 13, 2024, Patrick popped the question at the spot of one of their very first dates: the Chicago Christkindlmarket. The rest, as they say, is history.