Our love story began at a party of a mutual friend's in Chicago. We had both been living in the city for around 2 years. Justin was on the patio with his friends when Kara walked in with hers. The host introduced the two groups of friends and we instantly felt a connection towards each other. We ended up talking all night. The first date that Justin planned was the best last first date Kara had been on. He kicked the date off with drinks at Vines on Clark (outdoor patio in Chicago), continued on to an arcade bar (where Kara kicked Justin's butt -- or he let her win..) and then ended the night with dinner at Barcocina. After dinner, Justin, being the gentleman he is, walked Kara to her train and went in for a kiss!

Over the next several years their relationship continued to blossom including many trips across the country to Napa, Arizona, Denver, the Outer Banks, and Buffalo. In May 2017, Justin & Kara decided to moved in together in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood. For Christmas 2017, Justin surprised Kara in Buffalo in company with all her family after telling her he could not make it. 2018 brought a lot of travel to this love story with weddings and trips across the country. In March 2019, they added an ever-loving and cuddly puppy, Teddy, to their blossoming family. Having and training Teddy with Kara led Justin to know what was next in their relationship.

In December 2020, Justin went old school and asked Kara’s parents to marry her while in a rental car in a parking lot, having just landed in Minneapolis. After asking her parents, he called both her sisters to inform them of the plan. They were all elated and led to a “what took so long” without saying it. After the seal of approval, Justin started planning the proposal by telling a fib to Kara that he would have to come to a planned trip to Sarasota late “because of work”. In February 2021, Justin, Teddy, and his mother (Sue), headed on a roadtrip to Sarasota with a proposal plan in hand. After stashing Teddy and Sue in a nearby hotel, Justin planned to take Kara to a restaurant on the beach. While walking the beach, Kara’s parents, Sue, and Teddy were safely camouflaged in the bushes to capture the moment of the proposal. Kara of course said yes, Teddy was jumping for joy in a tuxedo, and the rest as they say is history.