DING, you have a match! Darren first met Emily through Bumble, an online dating app where after a match is made, the girl must start the conversation first. Hello dating in 2017! Their first date was on July 9th, 2017 at Parlor Pizza Bar. While Darren anxiously waited for Emily to arrive, once the two met, it was as if they’d known each other for years. Imagine two ‘talkers’ finding their better half – that’s a lot of conversation! And indeed, the night lasted for several hours, closing down the bar. Darren fell for Emily almost immediately, texting a friend, “If I don’t marry Emily from Bumble then something went wrong in my life,” during the first date. Emily, although a little more fixated on the Parlor nachos (which she tried to gracefully inhale between shared stories), enjoyed Darren’s witty banter, his ability to make her laugh at his life anecdotes and sweet nature that made the conversation easily flow. She agreed to a second date later that week as Darren eagerly asked her before putting her in a Uber (the modern ladies horse and carriage). The romance took off from there. Darren and Emily started going steady in the fall, and within six months had already accompanied one another to family holidays, a friend’s wedding, and a weeklong vacation together. Before 2018 was over, they knew it was the real deal, and Darren moved into Emily’s River North condo. Darren and Emily have continued growing in love and enjoying their life together. Specifically, they’ve loved traveling, so it was fitting that Darren popped the question during their trip to Italy. Darren proposed on a quiet waterway in Venice, and Emily said yes! They can’t wait for their big day on June 19th, 2021, and for the rest of forever together.