We're getting married!

Michael and Joyelle met on The League, a dating app. Michael's opening line was "what's your favorite dish to cook?". Joyelle's response was "pita pizzas", even though she hasn't made any since they started dating. Their first date was on October 11, 2017 at Carnivale, in Chicago for dinner. Things were going so well that they moved to Moneygun for a few post-dinner drinks, the rest is history. They made it official on January 7th, 2018.

Michael proposed to Joyelle on June 27th, 2021 in Ithaca, New York. Michael and Joyelle had plans to go to a winery and grab dinner with friends, or so Joyelle thought! That morning, Joyelle left Michael’s apartment to move a few items out of hers since she was in the process of moving out. Michael reminded Joyelle to be back in time to get ready to head to the wineries and she confirmed she’d be back in time. When Joyelle got back to Michael’s apartment, she was ready to shower and get ready for the winery but Michael asked her if she had a second to chat. Joyelle sat down on a chair opposite of Michael as he started to talk. He reflected on their past few years together and told Joyelle, “before I get down on one knee, I think you should too”, while pulling a Smirnoff Ice off the couch he was sitting on. Confused, since they were supposed to go to a winery soon, Joyelle got on one knee and chugged her Smirnoff Ice. Once she was done, Michael walked over to the kitchen and grabbed the ring box out of a drawer. He walked back over, got down on one knee and proposed to Joyelle. Obviously, she said yes! After Joyelle stopped crying, Michael popped some bubbly and told her the second surprise of the day. They weren’t going to a winery, but instead were taking engagement photos at The Inn at Taughannock Falls, followed by a celebratory with friends and a Zoom session with both their parents to share the news.

Joyelle and Michael are both lovers of traveling, going out on the town, and Chicago. Michael’s an avid Buckeyes fan who enjoys going to the games in Columbus. Michael enjoys playing soccer, riding his bike and watching movies. Joyelle is a converted Buckeyes fan, even though she still enjoys joking about Michigan. Joyelle enjoys trying out new exercise classes, baking/cooking and cross-stitching. A few of their favorite things: Food: Shellfish! Lobster, crab, shrimp, all of it (J), Lasagna and Chinese food (M) Adult Drink: Mojitos or sparkling wine, especially Prosecco (J), Old fashioned or whiskey on the rocks (M) Restaurant: Au Cheval if we’re in Chicago or Lupe’s in Houston (J), Gibson’s Italia in Chicago or Donato’s in Ohio (M) Type of vacation: Anything related to the beach or water (J), City hopping (M) Halloween costume: Hard to pick one, but beer pong was a hit (J), Steve Urkel (M) Thing about Chicago: There’s always stuff to do regardless of time of year and it’s where Michael and I met! (J), Summer-time Chi! (M) A place they want to travel: Australia, New Zealand and Cairo! (J), Rome and Paris! (M)