Tom and Emily were originally introduced by mutual friend and bridesmaid Courtney - however, they didn't truly hit it off until an autumn tailgate at the Michigan State vs Notre Dame football game. Emily offered Tom a drink, and they stayed by each other's side for the rest of the day. When they said goodbye for the evening, Emily asked Tom for HIS number, and he soon set up the first of many dates to come.

The rest of senior year was filled with Saturdays spent watching a particularly bad Notre Dame football team, frequenting South Bend's finest night life, and taking a second semester theology class together. The highlight of every week was their Thursday afternoon lunch date, with trips to local restaurants or picnics in between classes.

After graduation, Emily moved back to Chicago and started her career working at Deloitte, while Tom moved to Cincinnati to start his journey towards becoming a doctor. Tom and Emily spent 4 years finding as much time as they could to visit each other, and explored plenty of other cities along the way during breaks from school and work.

Soon after Emily finished another audit busy season, Tom came to Chicago for a visit. In classic Chicago fashion, there was a massive snowstorm that left the city blanketed in white. Tom planned a "belated Valentine's Day", and signed up for a virtual Focaccia making class to make sure that Emily would be camera ready for the proposal. After the class, Tom and Emily went on a long, familiar walk along the Chicago lakefront. With a perfect view of the snowy skyline, Tom got down on one knee and asked Emily to marry him, to which Emily was thrilled to say "Yes!". Tom and Emily celebrated with friends and family for the rest of the weekend, and then flew down to Florida on an impromptu celebratory trip.

After the engagement, the following months passed in a blur. Tom and Emily celebrated Tom's match to a fantastic Pediatric Residency program at Riley Children's Hospital, and planned their move to Indy - marking the end of 4 years of long distance dating. They are excited to celebrate their marriage in their new home city with all of you!