Marissa and Kyle met in December of their senior year at Illinois State University. After a couple of weeks of convincing Marissa to go on a date, things finally started to fall into place. Although Marissa initially tried to keep Kyle in the friend zone, he had other plans and persistence. It didn’t take long before they officially started dating on February 3rd, 2023 and they’ve been together ever since. In April 2024, Kyle began the Illinois State Police Academy, taking on seven intense months of training with little communication during the week. Even so, they made the most of every weekend, spending as much time together as possible and growing even closer through it all. At the same time, Marissa was finishing her 2 year graduate program for speech-language pathology, making it a busy and exciting season for both of them. After Kyle graduated in October 2024, they moved into their first apartment together in Mahomet, Illinois. Just a couple of weeks after Marissa earned her master’s degree in May of 2025, Kyle proposed at his family’s pond, a moment that felt incredibly meaningful and exciting for both of them. Since then, they’ve built a life they love together. Between starting their new careers, taking care of their dog Mylie, and geriatric cat Lilly, and settling into a new routine, they bought their first home in Mahomet Illinois, in December 2025. From college days to careers, long weeks apart to weekends together, their relationship has grown through all of their exciting stages of life. They can’t wait to share their love, and celebrate this next chapter with all of their friends and loved ones on September 12th, 2026.