We had met several times at countless restaurants and bars over the years and could not help staring and smiling at each other from across the room. One night Annie was invited by her older brother Todd to attend a Halloween party hosted by a close friend of his. Dan was also in attendance as he and Todd had mutual friend’s from high school and working together at Phil’s Pizza. At the party we began talking and really hit it off! We shared our first kiss that night and have been together ever since!

After 5 years of dating, moving in together, vacations to Mexico, California, and attending Wrestlemania in New Orleans, we went on a day trip to Starved Rock State Park to celebrate our anniversary on a beautiful nature walk, unbeknownst to Annie that Dan had met in secret to ask her dad hand in marriage a few days before. As we walked through the colored fall leaves for miles in the crisp fall air we stopped by a cavern to rest in Owl Canyon. It was there that Dan got down on one knee and asked Annie to spend the rest of their lives together as husband and wife.