In high school Paige found Troy through mutual friends. They became close and talked regularly. However, their relationship never evolved further, and they drifted apart. Years later Paige reached out again, and this is where their love story truly begins. They started to spend a lot of time together and were getting to know each other again after all that time. They clearly had a connection, so Troy asked her to be his girlfriend, and the rest is history. Paige made it clear she was already committed to going to school near St. Louis at SIUE that coming Fall, but they were both were confident they could make it work. At first, the four-and-a-half-hour drive between them was difficult after spending all Summer with each other. Troy was working full-time and Paige was working many hours and balancing her class load. They tried to have at least one weekend per month that Troy visited down there, or Paige come back to Schaumburg. Troy would drive after work for the weekend, or Paige would drive after classes finished for the week. The time was brief, but they enjoyed being able to spend it together. Eventually, Troy decided to go back to school while he found other work where he was able to work around a full class load. They would always call each other in between classes to check in. When COVID kicked in during the second semester, it helped bring them together more often. That summer, Troy then was hired at a networking company that his best friend and groomsman Cody referred him for. We know Cody was mainly in it for the referral money, wink wink, but are still thankful. Paige came home for the next three semesters because of COVID, and it really helped strengthen their bond. For the first time in their relationship, they were able to spend plenty of days together, plan dates and adventures, and be with their friends together. Their love blossomed from there, taking away the stress of being long distance and the work/school balance Paige had. The time they got to spend together was all they needed to know, definitively, this is what they wanted for the rest of their lives. Their engagement was a festive one. They went with to Troy’s Grandparents’ house in Galena, Illinois, about 2 hours northwest of them. It was Black Friday, and they were meeting with his family for the weekend. They all went downtown to check out the Christmas decorations, shopping, and lunch. Troy for weeks, if not months, was messing with Paige about getting engaged. On numerous occasions he would get her attention and get down on one knee in front of her, whether it was at the store, at home, at dinner, or anywhere. But it was always just to tie his shoe (that he untied) or pick up something (that he dropped on purpose). Eventually, she stopped finding it funny. But he never did! Nor did their parents because they knew it was coming soon. In Galena he knew the perfect spot for her. But since it was the start of Winter and had not rained in some time, the waterfall was broken! So, he had to figure out the next best place. The DeSoto House Hotel was it. She had been there multiple times with the family, it has a massive tree in the dining area during Christmas and is historically linked to Presidents such as Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses Grant. So, they all went inside to check out the decorations and the tree and took turns taking pictures. After theirs were taken, she walked away. Troy called for her to come back over. As she turned back around, he got down on a knee. How exciting! But after all the teasing and, in typical Troy fashion, she noticed his shoe was untied! She thought it was another joke. She rolled her eyes, but he then pulled out the box, showed her the ring inside, and she could not believe it. YES! Sharing that moment with family there was special to them. They've made many amazing memories with friends and family since then, and can’t wait to make more during their special day and future endeavors. Thank you for your love and support!