It all started on New Year’s Eve, 2022. We matched on Hinge while Jessica was up at her lake house with a few of her siblings, and we hit it off right away, exchanging messages over the next few days. On January 3rd—a chilly Tuesday night—we met for our first date at Beer on the Wall in Arlington Heights. The place closed after just an hour, but that was all it took. We both walked away thinking, “I hope we see each other again.” That same New Year’s Eve, Jessica’s younger brother was out at Arlington Ale House and met a couple of guys. He hit it off with one of them and even invited him to church. Later, he told his parents he’d met someone really cool—little did he know, it was the same guy Jessica was messaging and would soon be going out with. Even though we’d never met before, we actually grew up just ten minutes apart—Matt went to Hersey High School, Jessica to Palatine. We later realized we’d shared favorite restaurants, late-night pizza spots, and probably crossed paths more than once. Since then, we’ve built a life full of love, laughter, and adventure—traveling to Mexico, the Pacific Northwest, Costa Rica, countless trips to Sturgeon Bay and Apple Canyon, and everywhere in between. Now, we can’t wait to start our greatest adventure yet: becoming husband and wife.