We're getting married!

CJ and Tori both grew up in Palatine, but went to different high schools. Tori went to Fremd and CJ went to Palatine High School. Growing up, CJ had always been told, "don't date someone from the other side of the tracks". Well… that all changed one fated winter break December 2009 with some classic teenage drama. While Tori was at her friend Katie’s (now a bridesmaid), CJ was with Matt, Katie’s boyfriend at the time. The night started off as many did, gossiping and laughing as Katie chatted with Matt on the phone. Eventually, when Katie and Matt got annoyed with each other over a long forgotten tiff, Katie handed Tori her phone and Matt handed CJ his phone. The connection was instant. Tori and CJ talked and texted for hours that night. Somewhere between giggles and “Two is Better Than One” playing in the background, a spark caught. A couple weekends later, we went on our first date, a double date to see The Blindside. We'd been talking nonstop since we heard each other's voice, but since Tori didn't have a Facebook yet, CJ had never even seen a picture of her. Tori still teases CJ for waiting half the movie to put his arm around her, but it ended up being the first of many unforgettable moments. A few weeks later, on CJ’s 16th birthday (and Valentine’s Day), he crafted a scavenger hunt throughout his house, with a stuffed animal and a sign at the end: “Will you be my girlfriend?” Tori said yes instantly—a sign of the grand gestures and big hearts that would define our story. The next year and a half flew by with football and water polo games, sledding, Jamba and Noodles dates, and adventures across Palatine. Two cross town lovers, but two people with the same values, intense passion for family, and love to explore. Life had other plans though, and we went our separate ways for college: CJ to Bradley in Peoria, Tori to Miami in Ohio. Though separated by miles, we never lost touch. Every winter and summer break we'd meet for lunch to catch up and reminisce. Deep down, we felt our story wasn’t finished. A big turning point came in October 2014 when Tori shattered her arm going over the jump water skiing and landed in the hospital for a week. Faced with a horrific accident, the person she wanted to reach out to the most, the person she always leaned on and had always been on her mind, was CJ. From her hospital bed (under an undisclosed amount of pain meds), Tori texted CJ again, rekindling something lasting. While Tori studied abroad the next semester, CJ somehow kept up with every message, no matter the time difference. Finally back in the same time zone the summer of 2015, we filled it with late-night talks, bowling, mini-golf, and nervous excitement. Though it took a little longer to officially reunite, on July 6th, 2015, we started dating for the second time. From there, we faced long-distance for the rest of college, but we always knew we’d come home to each other. We spent the next 10 years growing up together: starting our careers; moving into our first tiny apartment in 2018; adopting our fur baby, Cora; road tripping across America several times (from the Badlands to Florida to Niagara Falls); experiencing CJ's first jaunt out of the country to Mexico; and dancing our hearts out at countless music festivals and concerts. In July 2025, for our ten year anniversary, we celebrated with an epic trip to Iceland, Italy, and Croatia, full of waterfalls, hikes, Ultra Europe musical festival, pasta, blue lagoons, and gondolas. After rescheduling the proposal twice (thanks to Tori’s knack for guessing surprises and an unfortunate hair mishap), CJ proposed on a hill overlooking all of Rome on July 8th, 2025: a day, and a love, we’ll never forget. From high school sweethearts to lifelong partners, our story is about timing, resilience, laughter, and always finding our way back to each other. We can’t wait to start this next chapter, and we’re so grateful you’re here to celebrate with us.