We're making it official, and we need you there!

Just like our grandparents before us (lol), we met after we "swiped right" on each other on a dating app in late-December 2022. Rachel thought there was something special about Charlie's infectious grin in his profile pic and his apparent adventurous spirit shown in his many travel photos. Charlie thought Rachel was "pretty hot." :) As we got to know each other over the next months, we quickly found in each other the same nerdy obsession with specific academic topics (science and history for him, political science and pop culture for her), a shared love of finding the best food wherever we find ourselves, and a common understanding that laughing through the hard times and great times is the only way through both. Many trips, hikes, delicious weekend breakfasts, late-night fits of laughter, questionable streaming shows, and Iowa Hawkeyes games later...on December 21, 2024--the Winter Solstice--Charlie surprised Rachel with the most perfect proposal, telling her he always loved the Winter Solstice, because he knows every day will be brighter, and that's how he feels about our life and future together. Rachel cried (obvi). We toasted to our engagement with potato churros and handmade pasta at Martina. And now we can't wait to celebrate with you at our wedding on Saturday, October 25th in Minneapolis! Your love and support have brought us to this beautiful place in life, and the party wouldn't be the same without you. See you there! Love, Charlie + Rachel