Thomas and Chieko met in their freshman year of high school when Chieko decided, spontaneously, to wake Thomas up from a nap in study hall. It was love at first sight—for one of them. It took about a year for Chieko to come around, but she was eventually charmed by him appearing at her locker a few times a day, never for any particular reason (and despite his classes being on the opposite side of campus). In Summer 2016, they had their first few dates at Chick-fil-A and the Westfield Mall in Tampa, Florida, where they spent entire days wandering around, learning to juggle, talking and laughing about everything, until store employees asked them to kindly leave if they weren’t going to purchase anything. They fell deeper in love as the years passed, following each other around the state—and country—for school and jobs. In 2022, Chieko landed a job in Rochester, Minnesota, where they now live happily with their two cats, Noelle and Tike. Nine years since Thomas and Chieko’s first date, they still make plenty of time for meandering walks around town and Chick-fil-A sandwiches with extra pickles. In 2024, on a random October Wednesday, Thomas decided to surprise Chieko just as she surprised him in their high school study hall. He asked if she would marry him, and she said yes, of course! They can’t wait to share their special day with you, and they especially can’t wait to share the rest of their lives together. See you this fall!