On Oct. 13, 2017, John and Bobby met by chance at a mutual friend's apartment before going out in Chicago for the evening. After conversations throughout the night, we exchanged numbers in hopes of meeting up again. John texted Bobby in the following days unaware that he had left for a work trip to California. A delayed response made John nervous (per usual), but then Bobby finally got back to John, and we’ve been talking every day since! Three years later, we live together in Chicago.

Bobby's story begins with his parents, Bob and Debbie Diamond. Bob is a Chicago native who grew up in a large Irish Catholic family and is the second youngest of 11 children. Debbie, born in St. Louis, grew up in a German American family and moved to Chicago at 16 with her parents, brother and sister. Both of Bobby's parents grew up in hardworking middle-class families and instilled the importance of family and work ethic from an early age. Bobby and his two younger brothers, Tommy and Michael, grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. After graduating high school, Bobby attended Iowa State University where he obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design. His passion for design led him back to Chicago after graduation, where he currently works for a high-end residential interiors firm.

John was born and raised in the Low Country of Savannah, Georgia, and is the son of Tommy Blanton, a Savannah native with Irish Catholic roots and Thea Rousakis Blanton, a second generation Greek American. John fully embraces his family's heritage. He grew up Greek Orthodox and loves his family, all types of food and Greek dancing. John has one sister, Brooke, and brother-in-law, Joey, with three nieces and nephews: Nolan, Luke and Grier. John attended an all-boys Catholic military school, Benedictine, and then to the University of Mississippi, graduating with a BA in Finance. He now works as a Risk Manager for United Airlines.

John and Bobby live in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago, about 15 minutes north of the city center, where they have lived since 2018. Gus, their adorable miniature dachshund, was added to their family in December 2019. In their spare time, they love to travel, cook and try new restaurants. We’re looking forward to celebrating our love during our wedding weekend with our loved ones!