Our Wedding

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We met at Vu in the Southloop for drinks. It was Andrea's first date in earnest on the dating apps and she didn't know what to expect. Both agreed to drinks instead of dinner in case the conversation ran dry. Four fancy (and one spilled) cocktails later, Andrea was meeting Shane's dog, Pebbles, back at his place which at the time was an active construction zone. While she was at first confused by the tiny dog covered in paint licking her face, she has never looked back since.

We traveled to Scottsdale and Sedona Arizona for our first trip. Pebbles accompanied us everywhere, including hiking in the Red Rocks. As usual, she was her intrepid self and posed with Shane on Devil's Bridge.

We were already together when the first stay at home order was issued, so we continued to hunker down together. After that day, we never went back home separately.

We met at the United Club in O'Hare for a drink at the only bar open in the state of Illinois. Shane was returning from a work trip in Phoenix and Andrea a week with her cousin and wife in Nashville with Pebbles.

Despite Shane's misgivings about getting another dog, we brought Lucky home from the southern tip of Illinois. Even though Andrea had hoped to get a male dog, she couldn't say no to the litter since the puppies shared Shane's birthday.

We both caught COVID weeks before the vaccines were opened to the general public. Since Shane was symptomatic, Andrea had to take both dogs, including their new puppy Lucky, down and up 11 flights of stairs to avoid the elevators and other inhabitants of their building. They quarantined for two weeks in Shane's 800 sq ft apartment with ⅓ of the living room taken up with boxes they had packed in anticipation of moving out one week later.

Andrea sold her condo in Uptown/Andersonville on her birthday in November 2020 and moved in with Shane in his one-bedroom in the Southloop. For three months, they lived there, both working from home and taking virtual meetings side-by-side. Shane's place finally sold in the middle of January after which they headed to Colorado for a couple months to live with his uncle and aunt in Frisco. Prior to leaving, they put in an offer on a house, and they returned the day before it closed.

We traveled back to Sedona, the site of our first trip, because we had fallen in love with the western landscape and the activities to do near town. We had our sights set on a specific hotel, The Enchantment, which is nestled in a canyon. Andrea had an inkling it was going to happen, though Shane still managed to surprise her with a unique ring and a photography session during the moment, on top of a mountain.

It has been a long time coming, and we are excited to celebrate this milestone with you under stars.