When we imagined our dream wedding day, we both agreed that we wanted something unique and intimate. We decided to elope in beautiful southern Utah! Although we wanted a small ceremony, the beginning of our marriage would not be complete without sharing this exciting time with all of our friends and family. We would not be the people we are today without the amazing love and support from those who mean so much to us. We hope you are able to join us for our reception in Saint Louis!

Cheney and I crossed paths many times before actually meeting. During our freshman year at Saint Louis University, we both lived on the fourth floor of the same dorm and attended events through his fraternity. We finally met during our sophomore year when I visited Cheney's apartment (shout out to Gunn 304) to see our mutual friends. Although I don’t believe in love at first sight, after meeting him once, I told anyone who would listen that I was going to date that boy. In true 2016 fashion, we started talking over Snapchat and quickly became close friends. Cheney won me over by picking me up on the SLU golf carts to drive me across campus and bringing his dog, Steve, to hang out with us at school. I think my humor and ability to keep our friend group in line (it's truly like herding cats) was what caught Cheney's eye early on. I wasn’t planning ahead for marriage, or I probably would have switched to calling him Daniel or Danny earlier in our relationship, but after almost eight years together, I have committed to calling him by my future last name. It has been a privilege to spend almost a decade growing up together. Many of our favorite memories come from going to college together. We loved exploring the neighborhoods around St. Louis, dressing up for various events, and studying with our friends. Of course, the greatest thing that happened to us was adopting Louis. After graduating, we moved into our first apartment and got our first taste of adulthood together. Once I finished my master’s degree, we made our first big move to Chicago. Miraculously, we made it through COVID in a tiny one-bedroom apartment. After cooking together in a kitchen the size of a closet, I knew that our future marriage was going to last. We missed the town we fell in love with, and after two years in Chicago, we moved back to St. Louis, where we hope to one day buy our first home. I feel so lucky to have met the love of my life at 19 years old, and I cannot wait to grow old together. Thank you to everyone who has supported us thus far, and we cannot wait to celebrate with you all in September!

One of the most cherished aspects of Maddie’s and my relationship is our shared and close friend group. I knew for a long time that I wanted to include them in the proposal. After we essentially walked into the proposal of our close friends, Finn and Clare, I knew ours would need to bring things full circle with them. Although I did not predict they would be living in Ireland at the time, I knew they would be a part of my master proposal plan. Maddie and I had been planning a trip to visit Finn and Clare, and I decided to propose during that visit. The trip was set! I had the entire thing planned out in my head. I imagined proposing to Maddie on a lush, green county field next to some cliffs. After enlisting the help of our local guide Clare, we decided on the Cliffs of Moher. I did not want there to be any random tourists near us; I wanted the moment to be ours. So, I spent a considerable amount of time on Google Earth to find the precise coordinates along the cliff walk where I would propose. As we boarded the glorious Aer Lingus EIR122 from O'Hare to Dublin, Maddie definitely knew something was up. I knew she suspected I might propose, but she had no clue about the details. The first few days visiting Dublin were amazing, and then it was time to make our way to Galway, a town close to the Cliffs of Moher. Maddie did not know about this side trip and had no idea where we were going. All she knew was that she had to pack for a few days. Maddie, Finn, Clare, Urban, and I piled into the car and began our cross-country trek from Dublin to Galway. I took a risk by planning to propose on the Cliffs of Moher in November, but the weather could not have been better. After a few days enjoying Galway's hospitality, the big day arrived. I had been somewhat nervous throughout the trip, but as we drove along the most bendy and narrow country roads, I became increasingly nervous. The location I had picked (52°58'45"N 9°25'35"W to be exact) was on the far north side of the cliff walk, so we had a bit of a hike to get there. Finally, we were approaching the spot. Clare and Urban pulled back from the group after I gave them a nod. Finn, on the other hand, decided to proceed along with Maddie and me. Fortunately, he did, because he was able to capture the best pictures we could have asked for. I saw the field, with the crashing waves, cascading cliffs, sun rays bursting through the clouds, and my beautiful soon-to-be fiancée looking back at me. Time moved slowly as I looked into her eyes, and nothing could have been more perfect. She has always been my strongest ally, my best friend, my soulmate. While she had been and always will be those things, I could not wait for her to be my wife. Fortunately for me, she said yes! After celebrating with some cleverly packed champagne, we made our way back to Galway, not without stopping for a pint of Guinness on the way. I was extremely blessed that what I had imagined came to fruition. Simply put, November 28th, 2023, was one of the best days of my life. Second only to the day we adopted Louis, of course.