How We Met Our story began at the best school around — the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (I-L-L!). We met through a mutual friend and quickly bonded over the funny coincidence of coming from rival high schools. That first spark of laughter was just the beginning of something special. The Early Days Our very first date was on Valentine’s Day in 2015 — one of the coldest nights of the year. After a very chilly walk near the Quad, we both knew this was the start of something meaningful. Since then, we’ve shared adventures, travels together in places like Colorado, Mexico, California, and more. Things We Love We love food, travel, and… baseball (though that last one is complicated). As proud White Sox fans, we’ve weathered more than a few rough seasons. Still, we both agree the only thing worse than our team struggling would have been dating someone who rooted for the Cubs! The Proposal Ten years after our first Valentine’s Day together, Julian planned the most unforgettable proposal on February 14, 2025. After an evening filled with amazing food, a beautiful candlelight concert, he popped the question — and then we celebrated with our family and friends! Looking Ahead Now one baby boy later (our dog Uzi), we are so ready to combine our families and continue building our own. We can’t wait to celebrate our love with the people who have been cheering us on from the very start — and we’re looking forward to spending forever together.