Thinking back to when Matt and I met in February 2018, it is crazy that was almost four years ago. We met at The Vig in Chicago when we were both out with our group of friends. It was completely spontaneous as he came up to me that evening asking to buy me a drink and from there rest is history! For those who have been out in Old Town, we ended up getting a late-night snack at the McDonald’s across the street. Romanic right? I wouldn’t count that as our first date, but we did meet up the following week to grab dinner and drinks. Over dinner, I learned about Matt’s incredible family, his love for the city of Chicago, and stories of being a lacrosse player at Illinois State University. It was obvious that he had great values, loved to be active and had an amazing group of friends. As Spring rolled around in 2018, Matt asked me to join his softball league with the Chicago Park District. I had not played softball since high school nor was I good at it, but I gave it shot and played catcher. Little did he know that before the first softball game, I spent 3+ hours at work googling “how to be a great catcher” or “catcher tips and tricks for softball players”. To my relief, the game was way less intense. Everyone on the softball team was incredibly inviting and we ended up playing on the team for the next 4 seasons. This was just an example of new things Matt has introduced me to since we started dating. The 3+ years to follow have been filled with nothing but incredible memories together. From traveling, trying out different restaurants, going indoor skydiving, helping me with my grad school classes, cooking together (our favorite meal to make is vodka pasta and can't forget cinnamon rolls or chocolate chip cookies), watching football, hanging out with family and friends. I couldn't be more grateful to be marrying an considerate, thoughtful, honest and hardworking man. Now that you all know how we met, keep scrolling to read about how he proposed!

Fast forward to October 2021, he proposed! The proposal was thoughtful and so well planned. A few weeks prior, we decided to get a group of friends together for a brunch in Lakeview. I booked the reservation and did not think much of the events that were to follow that weekend. Prior to leaving for brunch that morning, Matt suggested that we go for a walk by North Ave Beach. I did not think anything of this suggestion as I lived in Lakeview, and we went on walks by the beach constantly during the Springs and Summers. We were walking down the lakefront path as it was a beautiful fall day and when we got to the end, Matt told me “I have question for you…”. At that moment, I thought “Omg it’s happening!!!” He got down on one knee and proposed. It was the easiest “YES”. What made the moment even more special was that Matt hired a photographer to capture the whole moment. She was hiding as we were walking, and the photos turned out incredible. We celebrated our engagement with our friends and my sisters at brunch. This was the best day of 2021 and I am reliving the moment as I type this <3 To view our engagement photos - please use this URL: https://bit.ly/tijanamattengagement We can’t wait to have YOU join us on September 3rd 2022- and are so blessed to have friends and family that have supported us so well by our side. Here’s to the future Mariotti’s!