Like all great modern love stories, we met on Hinge. We went on our first date at Metropolitan Brewery in April 2021, sitting outside overlooking the north branch of the Chicago River. From that day on, we quickly went from strangers to spending most of our time together - sharing great meals and drinks, exploring hiking trails, and enjoying life in Chicago. On a weekend backpacking trip, overlooking another river in Michigan, we said “I love you” for the first time. In March 2023, we moved into our first condo together in Lakeview and discovered one of our favorite shared joys: hosting friends and family (usually with more food than anyone reasonably needs). A year later in 2024, we fostered and adopted our dog, Carmen. When Mitch proposed in November 2024, he planned a beautiful moment during a hike in Zion National Park, continuing to set relationship milestones overlooking a river. The plan was perfect until Sara sat on a cactus right as Mitch was getting the ring out of the backpack. After putting the ring back and helping Sara pick out the cactus spikes, Mitch adjusted and found another beautiful spot to propose, not over a river, but still just as meaningful. We’re so excited to celebrate with all of our favorite people, good food, lots of love, and thankfully, no cacti.