Katie and Brian met on the dating app, Hinge, in the summer of 2020. Their first date was at Winnemac Park, where they sat on a blanket and talked until after the sun went down. They'd return to the park five years later to get their engagement photos taken.

One of the things the two connected on right away was a love of Dungeons & Dragons. After their first date, Brian asked the weekly game he was in if Katie could join their table (a very bold move). The other players agreed and that was that. The group still plays to this day and is slated to end this original campaign in the spring of 2026.

On Sept. 7, 2024 Katie, Brian, and their friends went to the Chicago Botanitc Gardens. In the tranquility of the Japanese gardens he got down on one knee popped the quesiton. Immediately following, there was a celebration in the Doherty family backyard in Westmont, IL. The evening was filled with love, games, laughter, and a few shenanigans.