Gallery

May 23, 2023: Our very first picture together! Taken by Katie's sister Natalie the first time she met Jacob :') 📍Maggie Daley Park

little JB 📍Chicago, IL

... & little KT 📍Aurora, IL

Before we went on our 4th date, Katie lost a bet to Jacob that the Bulls would beat the Lakers...so Jacob got to pick what she wore for our next date...

Out in Wicker Park, ordering tacos: proof Katie upheld her end of the bet. 📍 Antique Taco

Jacob sneaking a photo of Katie the first time she ever scootered 😂 -- this was a month into dating and we were both too shy to just take a photo together😂

we took a lotttt of walks together early on; Katie snuck this picture on one of them 🥲

Jacob with the flowers, always :)

The day before JB officially asked KT to be his girlfriend, we met Paul & Sheryl! Sheryl texted Katie afterwards and said, "You have my blessing" 😌 📍Moonlighter

We made it *official* when JB asked KT to be his girlfriend on 6/23/23 --a date Jacob waited for because it's Lebron's numbers (6, 23) 💀 Anyway, here's our 1st pic as gf/bf ❤️ 📍Chicago Riverwalk

Jacob's a rare Southside Cubs fan. We went to our first game together in July 2023 and Jacob got to meet Steph, one of Katie's sisters!

Katie and Steph, the day she met Jacob :)

Kayaking date downtown 🛶

First time as wedding dates :) @ the Busscher-Gould wedding

Family: Celebrating Nakeia's bday! 📍 Sandbox VR

Jacob started undergrad in 2023 and schoolwork and study dates have been a staple in our relationship ☕️

Wedding dates in Milwaukee celebrating Mark & Emily (one of Katie's co-workers)

Halloween 2023 🤘🏽

First time Elizabeth met Jacob and it was memorable 💀🎸 📍Big Mini Putt Club

Celebrating Paul & Sheryl getting married in Vancouver, WA 2023 🤍

In our first year of dating, we kept a shared log in our Notes app of every single date we had, and we celebrated our 100th date at Virtue in Hyde Park ❤️

a BIG day in December 2023: Katie met Zola AND Lerenz AND Le'riah for the first time 🥹

First trip to Milwaukee for a Bucks game! 2024

Our 1st extended vacation together! Spring Break 2024: Texas 🤠

Got to visit Paul & Sheryl in Houston! (Spring Break 2024)

Katie getting to meet Hiyab in Dallas (Spring Break 2024)

Back where it all started: we met on Hinge and our first messages to each other were about In-N-Out 😌 (Spring Break 2024)

So many weekends spent running around with Zola at parks across Chicago 🥹

Celebrating family: Delante's 8th grade graduation 🎓

3.12.24: Celebrating the 1-year anniversary of our 1st date ❤️‍🔥 📍LondonHouse

June 23, 2024: Celebrating 1 year of being gf/bf ❤️

We love spending time with Zari (Jacob's niece); on our way to the Air & Water Show 2024

Katie spent 7 weeks in Vermont for her master's program and Jacob got her this 6-foot teddy bear to keep her company 🤣🥹 It made it the 16-hour drive there and back and was well loved 🥹

At the end of Katie's summer in Vermont, Jacob came out to drive her back home 🥲 We stopped for 24 hours in Montreal on our way back from Vermont and really enjoyed it!

Twin🤞🏽

Good friends & good food in Chinatown 🥡 📍Hing Kee

If you know anything about Katie & cars, you know they do *not* go together; Jacob has done his best to improve that 😂

Cubs game w/ Zola 🐻

Sep. 2024: On a walk through the Japanese Garden in Jackson Park; little did we know we'd get engaged here 1 year later 🥹

Cheering on Steph @ the Chicago Marathon 👏🏽

Enjoying the fall colors on one of many walks at Promontory Point 🍁

Celebrating Bryan & Diondra in New Orleans ⚜️

Bowling w/ the Cheng Sisters & Jacob 🎳

A fall tradition: the Pumpkin Patch 🎃

A Christmas tradition: braving the crowds to see the tree lighting & Christkindlmarket

Pulled a U-Turn for the photo opp & memories were made 😂 The photographer told us to go get married in Vegas 😌

Christmas lights & matching PJs, Christmas 2024 🎄 📍Morton Arboretum

Christmas Eve 2024: buying 2 of nearly every single pastry at the Bad Butter pop-up 😌

We're always down for an art museum and our vote is the Milwaukee Art Institute does it best 🤷🏻‍♀️

He made the birthday cake 🎂💛 📍Forno Rosso

Jacob's 30 birthday 🎉

Celebrating the 2-year anniversary of our 1st date ❤️ 📍U Chicago Library

With John (Jacob's brother) @ a Bulls game 🔴

A weeknight spent at the Costco autoshop, 2 hours past closing time waiting on tires 😌 Bliss 😌

Cheng Sisters + Jacob at the climbing gym :)

Cheering each other on: Celebrating Katie's first year of pursuing her National Board certification in teaching English Language Arts 👩🏻‍🏫 📍Virtue (one of our favs)

Jacob's mom has called Zola "Joy" since she was born & it's the most fitting name 🥹

Mo got Jacob into fishing 🎣

the fishermen with their catch 🎣

Celebrating Sam & Sarah (one of Katie's dear friends/co-workers--a fellow English teacher :) 💒

more dear friends/co-workers (Emily & Rachel) @ Sarah & Sam's wedding ❤️

2 year *official* anniversary dinner 🥂 📍Ciccio Mio

Daily FaceTimes over the summer of 2025 while Katie spent 6 weeks in Oxford, England for her master's program!

While she was at Oxford, Jacob left notes for Katie on a wall of post-it notes at 📍Drip Collective ❤️ It's the little things 🥹

A favorite summer activity: building sandcastles with Zola at the beach☀️

Brookfield Zoo w/ Jacob's cousin Lex & her daughter, Alessia ❤️

Cubs game w/ Zola 2025

ENGAGED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! September 12, 2025 💍

Katie's sister Nat hid in the garden, recorded it all, and took photos for us 🥹❤️

We picked up Small Cheval (our fav 🍔) for a picnic dinner and right before he proposed, Katie was wondering why Jacob wasn't eating 💀

📍 Japanese Garden, Chicago

Love Love Love

💍

Katie's family (minus Nat, who had to leave early) ❤️

Katie & Tina (Jacob's mom) 🌼

A little party with our friends & family after was so special ❤️

Will & Lerenz

Jacob surprised Katie with a weekend getaway at Postcard Cabins in Starved Rock right after they got engaged. It was so beautiful and peaceful.

Hiking the canyons in Starved Rock!

😘

Feeding the goats @ a new pumpkin patch 🎃

family 🧡

Space Cowboys 👽 Halloween 2025

Trick or Treating with Zola 🐈‍⬛

We both love going to basketball games, especially when we get to cheer on Jacob's younger sister, Chai 🏀

We got a lot of snow during the winter of 2025 and we got to go sledding a couple times! ❄️ 📍Palmisano Park

On the hunt! 🎄

Zola & JB joined in on the Cheng Christmas tradition of cutting down a Christmas tree 🎄

1st time at the Christmas parade!

annual tree pic 🎄

📍 Chicago Art Institute

Jacob joined the Cheng extended family for Christmas 2025 and things got competitive 🏆

Katie turned 30!! 📍Big Jones

Jacob's 31st!! At the one and only 📍Bavette's ✨

Celebrating the ✨ 3 year anniversary ✨ of our 1st date ❤️‍🔥 📍Monteverde (so good)

Our wedding photographer, Anna Jung-Hwa, took our engagement pictures @📍Garfield Park Conservatory

March 21, 2027 can't get here soon enough 🥹❤️💍