Our love of wine started early! We met while at a wine tasting - David was pouring wine, and Samantha was tasting. Unbeknownst to Samantha, one of her best friends, Jen, was chatting with David while Samantha was at another table moving along throughout the event. She thought the two of them would hit it off and slipped him Samantha's number. David reached out the very next day and setup a wine dinner date for them. We had an incredible 3 dates. Timing just wasn't right the first time (hence the two dates above), however a year and a half later, Samantha walked into the ballroom of the Pfister for this annual wine tasting and David had been watching the door all night for her. Since then we've been enjoying wine, food and adventures together and we cannot wait for you to join us for our wedding and experience one of our favorite places in the world.

You probably get by now that we have a passion for great culinary experiences. The first weekend in May 2018 David had an adventurous weekend away planned to Chicago. There wasn't much direction, and that wasn't going to fly. David produced a 'packing list' that suggested attire of cocktail dresses, so suspicions were up. We arrived in Chicago to the Blackstone Hotel overlooking Grant Park, Navy Pier and Lake Michigan in a beautiful room on one of the top floors. First on the agenda was a nice dinner out. We pulled up to Alinea, a three-Michelin star restaurant that's consistently rated one of the top restaurants in the world and has been on our bucket list. It's a pretty impossible restaurant to get into, but somehow David pulled of the impossible. Immediately Samantha assumed there was no way an engagement was happening here, but over the moon excited to be at this restaurant. We sat in a dining room with 6 tables and began experiencing dish after dish of culinary amazement. After roughly 9 courses, a course came to our table that hadn't been delivered to any other tables. It was a small boxwood sized tree that suddenly began to grow, take life and open up. Basically, 'blooming' at our table. I was so distracted by it, but then it stopped moving. Looking at David, he seemed confused looking at the waiter while they were trying to discreetly tell him to just "keep going". I was looking at the tree puzzled and trying to figure out what dish it was made out of. I then looked at David who was down on one knee. I gladly (and tearfully) said yes, while the ring was stuck in this tree. Thankfully the waiter grabbed it out for him and there was a chance to say yes all over again. The weekend continued with a trendy brunch in the Gold Coast, a rooftop Kentucky Derby party at a hot Chicago spot, followed by dinner at a French restaurant on Saturday and concluded Sunday at the Chicago Opera House for Jesus Christ Superstar. A truly personalized and unforgettable weekend.