Steph and Mason first crossed paths at South Middle School, never imagining they’d one day spend their lives together. Fast forward through their time at Prospect High School: Steph went on to attend New York University, while Mason headed to Iowa State. After college, Steph spent a couple years in NYC then moved to San Francisco, and Mason spent a couple years in Des Moines before heading back to Chicago. In August 2021, Steph decided to move back to Chicago to be closer to her family. During a pre-move visit, one of her besties, Melanie, invited Steph and some friends to Low Country in Lakeview for dinner and drinks. Meanwhile, mutual friends, Sean & Jack, invited Mason to join. If you have ever been to Low Country, you would know that it is not exactly the most romantic spot (at all), but the timing was still perfect for Steph and Mason’s romance to begin. Shortly after, Mason visited Steph in San Francisco, where Steph beat him to the “What are we?” question. (Spoiler alert: they were BF & GF.) Before long, Steph moved back to Chicago, and the couple began building their life together. Since then, they have traveled together, played lots of Monopoly Deal, cooked many Trader Joe's recipes, made a home in the Old Town neighborhood, explored their love of food + wine, and embraced their favorite shared journey - raising their sometimes mischievous yet the most lovable Bernese Mountain Dog, Walter (@walterthebernerdog). In August 2024, Mason decided it was his turn to pop the question during one of their morning walks with Walt. Now, they couldn’t be more excited to celebrate this next chapter with you all on December 5, 2025! Even Walter is wagging his tail with excitement - ready for his parents to become Mr. & Mrs. Burns. :)