Jess said, "You're so cool..." and Tino said "True Romance." Jess and Tino met in March 2018 while working together at Hop Cat, a craft beer bar in Lincoln Park. Tino had just moved to Chicago from Detroit and Jess had recently returned from working with an NGO in Ghana. By day Jess was a school librarian and Tino was an actor on the grind, but by night they exchanged intriguing glances over quick inquisitive conversations sipping one ounce pours of beer at the service bar. One night while sharing a post shift spliff Jess asked Tino for his phone number, to initiate a shift swap, but fairly fast became a flirty tete-a-tete. After a few weeks of double entendres and innuendo correspondence, Jess asked Tino on a date: "I want to show you my hood..." At the time Tino was living in Edgewater and Jess was on the other side of town, in Logan Square, where she had been living since 2010. It was a chilly night with flurries blowing in the wind, Tino trekked over an hour on the CTA, and they went to one of Jess' favorite spots off the square, Longman and Eagle. The first date conversation consisted of Jess regaling Tino of her world travels, her aspirations of going to grad school in Berlin; Tino's plan of moving to New York City, and his lack of desire to have any more children and to ever get married. Jess thought: "Great... so we're just having fun!" A few months after seeing each other casually, July may have been where things ended. Jess left for her 30 countries by 30 birthday trip to Europe and Tino was heading to Actors Theatre of Louisville for a show. In September, slightly unexpectedly, Tino called Jess to invite her to Louisville to see him as Dracula, so she hopped on a Megabus for a weekend of theatre, Ironman finish line festivities, and bourbon distilleries. When Tino got back to Chicago that November their connection started picking up momentum and by April 2019, they established themselves officially as something more than just casual. By July 2020, the pandemic raging through revolution, their more permanent bond was forged, foreshadowed by Tino telling Jess: “No matter what happens, I will not let us drown…” In January 2022 Tino and Jess bought a condo in Logan Square, traveled to Mexico, Europe, and all around the United States. In July 2023, on Jess' birthday, in front of her entire family, surprising them all, Tino recited a Shakepearean sonnet and proposed. This was an unforeseen possibility for them both, an unknown world of adventure and uncertainty; inspiring Jess to propose to Tino on his birthday in 2024, vowing: “We can be whatever we want to be…” Ultimately, it’s no secret to anyone who has been around them that they make a great team. They’ve realized the journey that they are on and don’t want the adventure to end and are willing to put in the work necessary to achieve what dreams may come. They’ve most recently traveled back to Europe, all around the United States, Puerto Rico, and Jamaica. They love being in each other's families and building a beautiful community together in Chicago and abroad. Neither of them expected their relationship to lead to the altar, but neither of them can now imagine it any other way. This July 2025, they are ready to commit to each other ‘til Death. They are overjoyed to share this celebration of their life together with their loved ones. Thank you so much for being a part of this spectacular weekend! “You’re So Cool…” Jess & Tino