We're Getting Married!

The story of how Chris and Becky met isn’t a simple one. When people ask how they met, they usually aren’t expecting two different stories. But in Chris and Becky’s case, there are. Their first encounter was in 1999 in the kindergarten recess line. Becky remembers standing next to the nice, shy, and quiet boy at the end of the line while Chris remembers standing next to the tall and confident social butterfly. Being six and polar opposites, they didn't click right away. However, unbeknownst to them destiny had already set its course. Fast forward to a snowy night in mid-December 2021 when the stars aligned to bring their paths together once again. Becky, having a little quarter-life crisis, had just returned from California to her hometown of Crystal Lake. Meanwhile, Chris, having life seemingly figured out, had relocated from the city to an apartment in Algonquin. On the night of December 16th, Becky took a friend out for dinner who was struggling with a breakup. As the break up tears started at dinner, Becky improvised, “let’s just go across the street to Labemi’s and get drunk”. What she didn’t know was Chris was already there, celebrating a friend's nursing school graduation. The moment Becky walked through the door, she locked eyes with Chris and was greeted with an enthusiastic "Becky Zaleski?!" to which she replied with a surprised "Chris Zatek?!". From that moment, they were inseparable, oblivious to the world around them. As the night ended and the festivities were winding down and friends were going home, they realized they weren't done catching up. Becky invited Chris to her sister’s house who lived in walking distance. They spent the night sitting on the front porch, sharing tears and laughter, fears and regrets, as well as their dreams for the future. They sat on that porch as the snow shifted to rain and night became dawn. When they realized the time was 4am, Becky took the basement couch and Chris got the reading nook under the basement stairs. For fear of meeting the family a little too soon, Chris woke up from his nap and walked home in the rain at 6 am. The following month posed its challenges (especially for Chris). With uncertainty of where Becky was moving next and her hesitance of bringing another person into the equation, Chris had his work cut out for him. However, just like that first night when being together felt so effortless, they couldn't resist each other's company. And by the end of January, it became clear to Becky what she was going to do next with her life: she was going to spend it with Chris Zatek. Fast forward again (just a couple years this time) and Becky and Chris own a home together in the very town they grew up in and where they first met 25 years ago. There is a third roommate, a squishable four-legged good boy named Ted, who Becky brought home with her from California. Becky and Chris (and Ted) enjoy their peaceful life in Crystal Lake where they spend most of their time hanging with friends and staying close to family. Becky and Chris cannot wait to continue building their lives together and are so grateful to have each one of you as part of their journey. Cheers to the next chapter!