OUR WEDDING

♥

I had a year head start working at BMO Capital Markets in Chicago, and wasn't focused on much my first year except getting though my next work week. The next summer rolled around and there were rumors of a "cute girl" that was joining the incoming class in the M&A Group. I didn't think much of it until September 2016 when Mary walked into the room for a kick-off meeting for an upcoming pitch that we both got staffed on. I was immediately intrigued by Mary and was more importantly interested in if she was single. The Friday of the pitch, per usual, there was a lot of last minute scrambling to get the deck finished for the pitch. Early that morning, Mary called me to ask for my help with something, which: a) I couldn't answer and b) gave away the fact I was still at my apartment and late for work. The next morning, I am debriefing on our Friday night with my roommates, when I realize I had a *late night* missed call on my BlackBerry. We technically were "not allowed" to make calls on our Blackberry, so I was surprised to see the missed call. My surprise (and moderate concern) quickly turned to joy as I realized the missed call was from "the cute girl at work," Mary. I quickly determined that this call was the sign I needed to pursue Mary in earnest. Early the following week, I started my instant messaging barrage at work, which hurt my productivity, and greatly increased the amount of coffees I asked Mary to over the coming weeks. Although reluctant at first, Mary agreed. To my disappointment, Mary decided to bring co-workers on many of these early coffee "dates." As time progressed, the instant messaging became more frequent and the coffee dates turned into one-on-one trips. I eventually asked for her number from one of my co-workers and our coffee dates then turned into dinner dates. What started as a budding work romance turned into something so much more.

My first job out of college was working in investment banking on the M&A team at BMO Capital Markets. I had been working at BMO for around three months when I got staffed on a pitch with the Food, Consumer, and Retail team. I was sitting in a conference room waiting for our kick-off meeting to begin when in walks Will King. The first thing I remember thinking is "Wow, that guy is tall and cute." We all introduced ourselves and I found out he was one year older than me and went to Michigan. Being the professional I am, I left the meeting and didn't think much of our initial interaction. Because of our pitch, I messaged Will frequently about work-related items. I quickly realized that Will: a) wouldn't be much help on the pitch materials, and b) that he REALLY liked coffee. Over the next month or so, Will asked me to get coffee multiple times a week, which I happily accepted. I thought it was a fun break from the office, so I naturally invited some of my M&A friends as well...I am always of the perspective "the more the merrier." It was only a few weeks later that my co-worker let me know: "Will doesn't want you to keep bringing all your co-workers to go get coffee with him." I had already had my suspicions before, but now I was certain he was interested in me. Our mutual friend gave Will my number shortly after that and our relationship quickly progressed. Side note: Will insists to this day that I called him on our Blackberry at 2am on the Friday of our pitch, but I can assure you that never happened (and if it did, it was a butt dial - we were not allowed to make calls on our Blackberry). But if that led to giving him the confidence to pursue me, I will go along with the story.

On Wednesday, January 13th, 2021, Will and I went for a walk on the beach in Cabo and our lives were changed forever. After a relaxing day at the pool soaking up the beautiful Cabo sun, Will and I went back to our room at the One&Only Palmilla to get ready for the night. As we were getting ready, Will told me to wear something nice as he had planned our evening and said we were going out for a nice dinner. As big fans of happy hour, we decided to go to a "bar on the beach" at the resort that we hadn't been to yet before heading to dinner in town. It was a picture perfect 75 degree night and we were loving life being away from the harsh Chicago winter. As we walked towards the beach bar, Will started reminiscing on our relationship and all the things we love about each other. We arrived at the beach and I quickly noticed there was in fact no beach bar in sight. And then, it happened. Will got down on one knee and asked the best question I’d ever get to answer - "Will you marry me?" After a lot of tears and even more champagne, we went on to celebrate the most romantic and amazing night of our lives. In dating and engagement, Will and I have learned a lot about each other. As we look back on our journey and look forward to our future, we are so grateful to God for bringing us into each other's lives and to our family and friends who have consistently supported our relationship. We truly cannot wait to start our lives together!