We can't wait to celebrate with our favorite people!

Brendan and Amanda met in undergrad at Illinois State University in 2019. Brendan rushed the same business fraternity that Amanda was in and they became quick friends. Fast forward to 2020, Brendan and Amanda went with a group of friends to Fort Lauderdale for spring break, where they realized their connection may be more than a friendship. They stayed up late on the beach, talking for hours about how much they had in common. When it came time to leave Fort Lauderdale, they were sad to be parting ways, especially since while on the trip, ISU had announced students were not to return to campus amidst growing concerns over COVID-19. They were unsure when they would see each other next. After a couple weeks back home with their parents, Brendan and Amanda decided to return to campus and spent the first few months of quarantine together, going on bike rides, taking walks, and watching movies. On April 26, 2020, Brendan asked Amanda to be his girlfriend. They spent their next and final year at ISU together, graduated, Amanda started her big girl job, and Brendan was off to his next adventure at Notre Dame. They remained steady as a "medium distance" couple and happily celebrated Brendan receiving his MSA degree in 2022. In 2023, Brendan and Amanda moved in together in Chicago's River North neighborhood. They moved again in 2024 to Wrigleyville. That July, they headed to Italy for a two-week vacation. Brendan gave Amanda the surprise of a lifetime when, on the second day of their trip in Rome, he popped the question. Upon returning from Italy, they added a new member to their family in the shape of a 40-pound Pitbull named Stella. She is the biggest sweetheart and cannot wait for her mom and dad to say "I do!" After five years of travels, adventures, laughs, and arguments, Brendan and Amanda cannot wait to embark on their next journey in the company of all their loved ones.