Welcome Friends and Family! Thank you for being a special part of our life. We cannot wait to celebrate our special day with you.

HOW WE MET: Several years ago, sometime in January 2016, Mark and Heidi both *swiped right. They aren't exactly sure of the timing due to the fact that they have since rid themselves of those dating apps, and thus deleted the evidence of the initial exchanged messages. Mark asked Heidi on a first date and took her to Taco Joint in Lincoln Park, not knowing at the time how much Heidi loves Tacos. Dare we say foreshadowing? After the first date, there was a second, a third, and so on. Several months into dating, it became clear that the timing wasn’t right. This is mostly because Heidi was living a demanding, nocturnal, nursing lifestyle. She asked Mark to agree to put a hold on dating until her work schedule lightened up. Mark agreed but actually had no intentions of putting a hold on anything. After a series of attempts to continue to go on dates with Heidi, he finally threw the towel in. But only for the time being. Several years went by, but for some reason, Heidi and Mark always found themselves coming back to each other. They continued to stay connected, making efforts to see each other and catch up periodically. Then, finally, on April 29th, 2021, Mark sent Heidi an Instagram message. Mark: “Heyyy! Looks like you’ve been enjoying life in your travels, you back in Chicago? Would love to catch a cubs game with you and catch up sometime if you want” Heidi: “Yesss back in Chicago! And yes I’d love to! It’d be nice to see you and catch up!” And thus, Heidi and Mark met that evening at Parlor Pizza for dinner. Heidi knew the timing was right when Mark agreed to order the veggie and hummus plate as an appetizer. And Mark, well, he knew the timing was right because Heidi was no longer a sleep-deprived zombie. They picked their relationship right back up from where it was left off, as if no time had passed at all. Together, they proceeded to go on frequent dates and scampered about the city in true form of *summertime-Chi. Heidi and Mark attended a Cubs game (of course), had brunches, lunches and dinners, fully immersing themselves in the Chicago restaurant scene. They went on walks by the lake, attended concerts, patio parties, explored bars, swam at the pool, traveled a bit, played many late-night games of scrabble, and ate lots and lots of tacos (also, of course). In Summer of 2021, Heidi introduced Mark to her family, and Mark brought Heidi to Lake Tahoe to do the same. While in Tahoe, Mark took Heidi on a beautiful Hike around Emerald Bay, ending at the waterfront where they swam, had a picnic and laid on the sand. Here is where they said “I love you” to each other for the first time. Now, whenever they see a map of Lake Tahoe, they look for that very spot where they exchanged those special words. The two continued to spend more and more time together, laughing, traveling, adventuring, and exploring their home city of Chicago while discussing the possibilities of the future. In May of 2022, on a beautiful morning in Hawaii, Heidi and Mark took a walk along the beach to watch the sunrise. This is where Mark popped the big question. And this is where Heidi said: “YES!” and “BUT ARE YOU SURE?” “ARE YOU SURE?” “ARE YOU REALLY SURE” (several times over) And Mark said: “YES!” “YES!” “YES!” (also several times over) By 7am (Hawaii time) they were drinking Champagne on the beach, basking in the engagement excitement. And the rest is history. a note from Heidi & Mark: We are so excited to be preparing for our wedding in August 2023 and we cannot wait to start our future together in marriage. Thank you so much for being a special part of our life. We couldn't imagine celebrating our union without you there, so please mark your calendar! #LockyeredIN2023 *Swiped right = a reference to the way in which you indicate that you are interested in someone on a dating application. *Summertime-Chi = a reference to summertime in Chicago, full of outdoor fun.