Matt and Allie met in February 2020. Allie told her friends and family early on that they met through mutual friends, but the truth later came out that they met online. Shoutout to Bumble (still waiting for them to sponsor the wedding).

Even a worldwide pandemic could not stop their instant connection and their relationship progressed onwards despite the whole world shutting down. The early months were filled with a lot of time inside watching TV shows, getting takeout, and loving on Oliver, their sassy, but loving labradoodle.

Summer 2020 was filled with lots of outdoor activities including many days spent at the lake and a fun vacation weekend to southern Illinois. The weekend was filled with fun outdoor adventures. After a long day at the wineries and blueberry picking, Matt told Allie he loved her for the first time.

Matt did not officially ask Allie to be his girlfriend until November 2020 despite already meeting the families and exchanging the “love” word. When asked about this he responds, “I just had to be sure.” Allie knew they were serious long before him asking her to be his girlfriend officially, it just took Matt a little more time to come to speed. Allie was patient knowing that all good things take time!

Matt’s job relocated him to Texas in August 2021. While this proved to be a challenge for their relationship, they persevered through the long distance. Not being able to stay apart, Allie joined Matt in February 2022 and worked as a travel nurse in San Antonio for the following year. Texas was such a fun state for the couple to explore, going to rodeos, trying the best barbecue, and even starting a garden together. Allie felt very loved when she told Matt they needed a hobby to do together and she came home to a whole raised garden structure hand built by Matt. They both continue their gardening hobby to this day and love sharing their bounty with their friends and family.

There were some downsides to the move to Texas as well, such as the snake that wedged itself into the siding of their house (Matt went to extreme lengths to make sure Allie did not have to deal with the snake-her biggest fear) and being away from their families. They filled their void by seeing their families as much as they could. They also decided to get a new puppy in the summer of 2022, a goofy, sweet double doodle named Teddy (Allie hates saying double doodle and tells everyone he is just a goldendoodle). They enjoyed raising a puppy together, even the late nights and early wake up calls to go potty. Oliver also enjoyed becoming a big brother and showed him the ropes of being a good boy.

They will always remember Texas as the state they together built their first home and garden, but Allie moved back to Illinois in winter 2023 to pursue her graduate degree in nursing. Matt will officially move back at the end of March 2024. The couple is excited to be together again and plans on focusing on wedding plans, finding a new house, and continuing to garden this year. They are so excited for all of the exciting things to come in their relationship!