In December of 2019, Caitlin and Edward met online and started talking on the regular. Intrigued by what each had found but not loving the idea of a 3-hour distance, they officially met in February of 2020 to see if the chemistry in their communication translated to in person. One amazing day date in Chicago and Caitlin knew Edward was the one. Several trips later, things were going amazing and all the concerns about a long-distance relationship were gone. Queue COVID-19. The shutdown may have waged war on their mental, financial, and personal well-being, but it also allowed them to spend a significantly larger amount of time together than their normal schedules would have allowed. With being allowed to work from anywhere for a time, Caitlin was able to come down mid-week and spend long weekends with Edward. Edward was temporarily laid off from his restaurant job and was able to come up to Green Bay and spend several days at a time with Caitlin. Somehow, the tragedy of the pandemic allowed the time and space the relationship needed to blossom. The changes continued for the next couple of years. Edward moved to Aurora and found a first shift job. Caitlin moved out of her apartment into a new duplex. Plenty of trips and weekends back and forth, combined with some larger trips to St. Louis, Vegas, and Door County to name a few, helped celebrate key moments. And, as time went on, they knew the only sustainable path for their relationship was to find a way to move in together. The next few years were one exciting moment after another. February 24, 2023: They purchased a house and moved in together in Dekalb, IL. August 5, 2023: Edward proposed. Caitlin obviously said yes. September 30, 2023: Orion joined the family. October 2023: Caitlin found out she was pregnant. (Edward found out a month after his birthday.) Mothers Day 2024: Olive joined the family. Yes, 1 month before baby. It was a choice. June 27, 2024: Harrison Edward Mateo Velez was born. With the family settled and excited about their future together, planning was kicked into high gear for their wedding on October 25, 2025.

Please see the image below to anticipate where you will be parking and the general layout of the grounds.