We are so excited to celebrate with you!

As with many millenial couples, the couple "met" while swiping on Hinge. Izzy was attracted to Calder's smile but wondered, "is that his ex-girlfriend in his profile?" (spoiler: it was his sister Lydia). Calder couldn't resist sharing his buffalo wing recommendations with the new Chicago transplant. It was a match! Brief pleasantries were exchanged and Calder suggested a date the following Thursday, June 6, 2019 at Beatnik. On the morning of their first date Calder texted Izzy that while he thought he would be on time, he may end up being late as his work was unpredictable. Sending updates throughout the day, Calder kept edging back their date time by 15 minutes, then by 30 minutes, and all of sudden Izzy found herself at the bar alone for 90 minutes. She couldn't help but wonder "Am I being stood up?". With nothing else going on that evening, she ordered herself another fancy cocktail instead of leaving. As the bartender served up her cocktail with a look of pity in his eyes, a very tall and frazzled figure rushed into the restaurant lobby and right into the wrong door. Calder had finally arrived. His charm and easy going personality quickly made up for his tardiness, and the pair stayed at Beatnik until closing... then went next door to Forbidden Root Brewery where they guessed each other's beer orders until the bar shut down. IPAs all around! They proceeded to see each other the very next day then Saturday and Sunday, quickly becoming a couple.

To celebrate a milestone birthday for Linda (Calder's mom), the couple joined Calder's family in Italy during September 2021. The trip began with a night in Cortina - jetlagged but forcing themselves to stay awake to enjoy an Aperol spritz (or two) at the base of the Dolomites. Their guide Carlo assured the weary travelers that their 4-day backpacking route was scenic and very approachable. They would even descend a mountain in World War I tunnels with head lamps on (another spoiler: they took the gondola down)! The next morning a taxi driver dropped the group off at the start of a trail. While very beautiful, the travelers quickly realized that their conversion of meters to feet of elevation was not quite right and these trails were progressively difficult. A notorious overpacker, Izzy's backpack was about double the weight of Calder's. At mile 7, she admitted he was right about her overpacking and asked to switch backpacks. 2 miles into the blissful backpack change, the group happened upon an alpine lake where a dozen cows were enjoying the sunny afternoon. The group begin to split - Linda powered through, Will wandered along, and Lydia went forward, leaving the couple alone. Calder asked to switch backpacks again. Izzy begrudgingly agreed. She put her oversized backpack on and snapped some photos of Lago di Limo. When she turned around, Calder was down on one knee. They became engaged on Sunday, September 5, 2021! Italian hikers cheered "¡Felicitazioni!". The cows may have even rang their bells in song. Lydia came rushing back down the trail to hug the newly engaged couple. After catching up with Will then Linda, the group enjoyed a late lunch and an evening at the nearby Rifugio Lavarella. They spent the next week enjoying the Dolomites, Lake Garda and its surrounding areas, all while sampling different types of spritzes.