Our love story is a modern romance of two old souls. We matched on the dating app Hinge (it’s really made to be deleted) on April 21, 2019. After a very brief text exchange, Joshua (JB) made a phone call that would change his entire life. Our first date, scheduled for two weeks later, was planned just for an afternoon but turned into a marathon date exploring the north side of Chicago. We have been inseparable ever since. Fast forward to the pandemic, when we decided to spend what we thought would be two weeks quarantining together. Those weeks, turned into months of deep conversation, fun (competitive) game nights, learning to grill, and dancing in the kitchen to Anita Baker and Boys II Men. On March 25, 2021, JB surprised Lydia with a romantic private proposal immediately followed by an intimate celebration with her family and close friends in her home state. It was truly everything she could have imagined. We are excited to be on this journey of life together and blessed to have found love and the best friendship in each other.

With JB being a Southside Chicago native and Lydia being a Jersey girl with strong Georgia ties, we had many location options to choose from. We decided that much of our lives (and even our romance) has been non-traditional, and wanted to embrace more of our family history and tradition as we embark on this next chapter. We will be married in the same church where Lydia’s parents were married 36 years ago. It is also the same church where her mother's siblings were married and where Lydia grew up. Our reception is at one of our favorite NJ restaurants on the Hudson River. We will be honored to have you join us to celebrate our love and union. Don’t worry, the Chi will also be well represented!