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Michelle & Nicholas

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Nicholas Mateja

and

Michelle Lang

#Ms.to.Mateja

October 11, 2025

Elmhurst, IL
361 days361 d16 hours16 h1 minute1 min54 seconds54 s

Our Story

We met at THE Ohio State University. Yup, that’s right. We did not meet at the Shoe on Gameday. We did not meet at one of the many iconic bars on High Street. We did not meet in class nor at any party. We simply met between the simmering smells of fried food and dishwater - Traditions at Scott Dining Hall. We would love to say, beneath our matching uniform of gray t-shirts and black hats with scarlet block “O”s on the front, that when our eyes met, something like lightning struck and our hearts beat deeply within our chests like thunder rolling in before a large summer storm. Our story is similar, and a lot less dramatic. One day Nick had “misplaced” his water bottle. Turns out a coworker had actually hidden it from him as a practical joke since he had forgotten it at work the day before. However, Nick already knew where the water bottle was hidden, but reached out to Michelle to see if she had seen it, using it as an excuse to talk to her. It was not the first time Michelle had seen him, but it was the first time she had spoken to him. She had taken notice of him in the past, of course, but this first interaction opened the door for Michelle to make her move. This move was a classic. The next time she saw him, she casually let him know that she and a few friends were going to 4th Street Bar for Karaoke Night, and would he like to join? Truthfully, Nick was certain Karaoke Night was the last place he wanted to go. He showed up anyway. They ended up leaving shortly after he arrived to go somewhere much quieter to talk. They ended up chatting for hours. Four months later, Michelle felt a test was in order. It was time to meet the family. They had not been officially dating, and he was not introduced as a boyfriend, but as a friend to her parents and sister. Brutal. However, he was such a great blend with her family, that he passed with flying colors and they became official at the end of that weekend, on tax day, 4/15/2017. In the 8 years that have followed, they each pursued their passions. Michelle watched Nick hone his cinematography skills both in his career as well as recreationally with Star Trek scene recreations and storm chasing. Meanwhile Nick has seen Michelle, outside of her accounting career, dive into her vocal talents and start recording and harmonizing with some of her favorite musical numbers. They moved to Illinois, where Michelle met Nick’s family and fell in love with them. They both changed jobs, moved in together, raised their dog Archie, became engaged, and most recently, moved to Colorado. We could not be happier to be getting married in the coming year and continue to grow, change, and weather any storm (or perhaps storm chase), side by side, for the rest of our lives.

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