A & D

Daniel and Ally’s story began at the great (or maybe not-so-great) Lewis University, in the dorms of Pope John Paul II. They didn’t meet in class or by chance on campus. Instead, Daniel and his friends decided to knock on Ally’s dorm door one night. One of Ally’s roommates opened the door and invited the guys in. After some encouragement, Ally finally stepped out of her room—wearing pajamas—and joined the group. The guys and girls talked for hours, had a great time, and eventually called it a night, not realizing how important that moment would become. The following weekend, while Daniel was driving to visit his future best man, Michael, Ally added him on Snapchat, and the two began talking. Daniel was completely flabbergasted —no girl had ever made the first move and started a conversation before. After about a week of getting to know each other, Ally invited Daniel and his friends back to her dorm room to watch a movie. Once again, the roommates ended up hanging out late into the night. Moments like these continued until Daniel finally worked up the courage to ask Ally on a date. For their first date, Daniel took Ally flying over the Chicago skyline. Throughout the flight, Ally was completely silent, leaving Daniel convinced he had fumbled the date. Later, Ally admitted she had been terrified the entire time. Ally planned their second date, which may have topped the first: an oil change followed by Chick-fil-A, generously paid for by Lou. After a few more dates, Ally decided to stick around, and Daniel knew this relationship was going somewhere special. Everything simply clicked. They began spending nearly every day together, met each other’s families, and officially started dating on March 13, 2023. Over the next two years, Daniel learned far more about volleyball than he ever expected and endured continuous family hazing. Ally learned everything there was to know about fishing and how to play 3/13. Her food palate expanded exponentially thanks to the Sowa family’s impressive cooking skills. As their lives continued to grow together, conversations about marriage and the future became more frequent. Daniel knew Ally was the one. In January 2025, he visited JR Fox and purchased the perfect ring. After asking Lou for his blessing at his favorite place—and thankfully receiving a yes—Daniel began planning the perfect proposal. Daniel originally planned to propose on May 19, 2025, at the Lakehouse with both families present, but coordinating schedules and the weather proved difficult. Instead, on May 9, 2025, Daniel decided the moment was right and proposed at the dock of Donnell Lake. Ally agreed to a nice dinner and a drive to go fishing at sunset, though she was confused about why she needed to wear a dress. Daniel insisted it was necessary with the sun going down, and during the nervous car ride, Ally began to suspect what was coming. At the lake, Daniel handed Ally a fishing pole and asked her to cast while he stepped away. On her very first cast, Ally caught a bass. After releasing the fish, she casted again. This time, Daniel returned, got down on one knee, and asked Ally to spend the rest of her life with him.