We're getting married!

In October 2018, during our senior year of high school, Marcus had been trying to convince Sydney to go out with him for months. With college right around the corner, Sydney was hesitant to start something new. But after some encouragement from a friend, she agreed to spend an evening with Marcus at a SFHS school play. By the end of the night, he took the opportunity and finally asked her to be his girlfriend. Our senior year was filled with volleyball games, Friday night lights, time with friends, and soaking in all the “lasts” of high school. Just a few days before prom, we had a heart-to-heart and decided we were in it for the long haul. We were going to do long-distance through college, no matter how hard or intimidating it seemed. For four years, we made long-distance work. We squeezed in weekend visits, always taking the last flight out and had lots of late-night FaceTime calls. Some of our favorite memories came from those in-between moments, like when Marcus drove seven hours just to surprise Sydney for her 22nd birthday. We spent holidays together in Chicago, visited each other’s families, and even took a trip to Canada, where Marcus met Sydney’s extended family. Each reunion reminded us of the future we were building, and every tough goodbye made that vision even clearer. Our families became such an important part of our journey. Sydney grew incredibly close with Marcus’s siblings and mom and always felt so at home with the Ingolds. Marcus stepped seamlessly into the Leo family’s joyful chaos quickly becoming a big brother to Sydney’s younger sister, Jessica who now calls Marcus for advice more than Syd. In June 2023, the long-distance chapter finally ended. We moved into our first apartment in Omaha, no more airport goodbyes, no more nightly FaceTime calls, just real life together. We adopted our tuxedo cat, Teddy, who immediately became the center of our home, and we began settling into the life we had been dreaming of for years. Then, on July 3, 2025, during a trip back home to Chicago, Marcus proposed at Cantigny Park, the same place where we took our senior prom photos years earlier. It was a quiet, beautiful moment that brought our journey full circle, back to where it all began. Now, a few weeks before our 8 years anniversary, we’re getting married, and we couldn’t be more excited! It has been a long time coming, and we’re so thankful for the love and support that’s carried us through every chapter of our story. We can’t wait to celebrate with each and every one of you.