In December 2020, Alison and Henry were both recent transplants to Chicago with zero intention or expectations of meeting anybody. We shared our first conversation over Tinder on New Year's Eve, when Henry shared his adventurous plans to pair fried chicken with champagne, and Alison shared her plans to eat latkes with her neighbor and now bridesmaid Sophia. What started as messaging turned into phone calls, and then into FaceTiming nearly every single day. We didn't meet in person for an entire month. With the help of Alison’s roommate Monica, our first date took place finally – and briefly – on January 20, 2021. Alison and Henry exchanged homemade meals – Alison made Korean fried chicken and Henry, a Blanquette de Veau – then said goodbye to watch Twilight together over dinner and Facetime. As Chicago slowly came back into bloom after the pandemic, so did our lives together. We built a foundation of trust, an appreciation for good food and better wine, and a lot of laughter.

On June 8, 2025, Henry had developed a sudden and suspicious interest in checking the weather, suggesting to Alison that it was to make sure we could attend Chicago Jazz Fest. In reality, he was searching for a pocket of clear sky (a la Captain James Stagg) so he could propose at one of our favorite spots in the city: a quiet, tucked-away picnic spot in Grant Park, hidden from the tourists but still holding, we think, the best view of the most beautiful city in the world. He asked, and just as Alison said yes, 11 of our dearest friends came bursting out of the bushes in red fedoras for an impromptu flash mob to Bruno Mars's "Marry You," choreographed by our own Grace Trotta. Today, we live in the South Loop with our two cats, Gigi and Soup, and we get to eat fried chicken and champagne every New Year's Eve, together. Our life together is beautiful and has been made even more beautiful because of the people who show up for us. We cannot wait to celebrate with everyone on our wedding day.