Our story technically began before we ever met.

In 2014, my sister started college at the University of Iowa and began posting photos of her new life on social media. In one picture, I spotted a tall guy in the background and commented, “He’s cute. You should date him.” Her response was: “That’s Noah. He’s just a friend.”

A few months later, I tried again. Different photo, same guy, same answer. Still Noah. Still just a friend.

My sister found this hilarious and eventually told Noah that I had a crush on him. Soon after, he started following a joke profile I had made, where he proudly became the first person to like and comment on my Photoshopped pictures with Zac Efron. Romantic foreshadowing at its finest.

Fast forward seven years to my sister’s wedding, where Noah and I finally met in person for the first time. We both arrived late to the rehearsal, parked next to each other, and I immediately asked him to help carry things into the church to avoid an awkward introduction. True to form, he was kind, helpful, and charming.

I mostly avoided him during the rehearsal because I was focused on my sister’s big day and, honestly, a little nervous. But once the wedding was over and the pressure lifted, Noah took the opportunity to be persistent and strike up a real conversation. Before I knew it, we were dancing to every song and laughing all night.

The next day, we went mini golfing before he headed back to Iowa, and somehow, from that point on, we talked every single day.

Three months later, over New Year’s in Iowa City, Noah asked me to be his girlfriend. I said yes, and we began our long-distance chapter, with Noah in Des Moines and me in Chicago. After ten months of weekend visits and countdowns, Noah accepted a job at the University of Northwestern in November 2023, officially bringing our long-distance era to an end.

From there, we fully embraced life together in Chicago. Our favorite dates include trying new restaurants, going to Broadway shows, attending sporting events, and visiting the Christkindl Market. At home, we love cooking together. Noah went from never cooking a meal to becoming a confident and impressive home chef in record time.

On June 21, 2025, I thought we were going on a casual boat ride on the Chicago River with my sisters to celebrate my older sister and her husband moving out of the city. What I did not expect was Noah proposing in Aldi slide flip flops. Once we were on the boat, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him, and I was completely shocked and absolutely over the moon. We spent the rest of the day smiling ear to ear while we took photos, and enjoyed a delicious dinner.

We cannot wait to celebrate with all of you this September as we continue our favorite story yet.