Angela in grade school at St. Joseph's in Wauwatosa, WI

Tony in grade school

Tony in High School art class

A young Angela on a castle wall in Wales while studying abroad in the UK

Anthony and Angela used to hang out at the same goth/industrial club in their 20s, but never really got to know each other. Only one blurry photo exisits to prove it!

They met again at the wedding of their friends, Michelle and John Verbos. ***** Angela- “While out before her wedding, Michelle and I were joking about if there were going to be single guys at her wedding. She was doubtful that anyone would be a good match for me. BUT- minutes went by and she exclaimed, "OH! What about Tony!?". So she set it all in motion by telling me to be on the lookout for him. I took this selfie with this Tony guy at the steps of South Shore pavilion, not knowing it would be the first picture of us together. Awww" ****** Anthony - "After not having been back home to Wisconsin for roughly 6 years, I flew in to officiate my oldest friend's wedding. I was talking to Nick Bott about if I was open to meeting someone, and I told him that I wasn't looking for that. Although, I did mention that if Angie Payne were to be there, which she couldn't be, as she lived overseas, then maybe- And I looked up as she walked up the driveway- it was all over from there!"

By the end of the night we had hit it off pretty well and Tony called ( or probably texted) the next day to ask me out for dinner at La Merenda. Since I had recently moved back the the US from Vietnam, it took a little convincing to get me to be his girlfriend, but before long it was obvious that he was a pretty great catch.

A wonderful night at the Turner Hall Ballroom in Milwaukee for the Yule Ball showed Angela that Tony was up for costume challenges! This thing really might work out :D

Angela heads to Seattle to visit Tony for the first time.

While Angela was backpacking through Europe and Tony was working, they meet up in Munich, Germany with plans to travel to the Czech Republic together. Little did Angela know that he had a surprise in store for when they got to Prague.

Engaged at the Wallenstein Palace Garden under the Prague Castle in the Czech Republic.

Photo Op at the Lennon Wall in Prague after we got engaged

After meeting up in Scotland for a wedding, Tony and Angela drove though Speyside visiting distilleries and seeing Highland Coos. Here we are at the favorite distillery we went to- Glenfarclas.

Tony pulled out all the stops to woo Angela into moving to Seattle- including a night out at Teatro ZinZanni, a dinner-and-burlesque-circus in a vintage spiegeltent!

Angela's brother David's wedding in Milwaukee gave Tony a change to meet the large Hoppe side of Angela's family- a test to see if he could handle them :D He did great.

Angela moves to Seattle! A 5-Day drive from Milwaukee to Seattle in one UHaul truck with Tony and Three Cats!

PANDEMIC!! We waited a couple years for this wedding to happen due to Covid-19, but it will be worth it! Got out and about outside seeing some of the beautiful scenery of Washington while lockdown was in effect.

Taking advantage of some spring weather outside during the pandemic- at Green Park in Seattle

Celebrating the engagement in Wisconsin with a small group of Angela's close friends during the pandemic.

When the pandemic let up a bit in the PNW, we visited Oregon wine country for our 2nd anniversary.

We took a long drive to see Forks, Wa- Setting of the 'Twilight' Series- THERE WERE NO VAMPIRES. OR WEREWOLVES. But we did get to see the Hoh Rainforest.

Tony got to revisit his DJ work during the pandemic at an online goth-industrial music dance party

Getting vaccinated against Covid-19! So grateful for this life-saving vaccine that allowed us to think that planning this wedding was finally in the stars!

Amazing night at The Herbfarm celebrating our 2-year engagement-iversary

We love to travel, but Covid made us leery of spending our airline miles on an international trip, so it was Spring Break in Hawaii for us! Tony's first tropical vacation! We ate amazing food and saw amazing scenery, including lava floes and active volcanos.

Angela graduated with her Masters of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling- Tony's support was amazing through all of it.

Visiting friends and family in Wisconsin in Summer of 2021- and tasting lots of catering!

Our Kitty Circe FatCloud- she is a lovely love bear of burliness who just wants to lick everything and have more treats please.

Our kitty Žižka: Angela found her outside a propane and propane accessory shop in Saigon, Vietnam, and took her home in a backpack and then all the way across the world (in a cat carrier)

Our kitty Frankie- She is a sweet old little thing and just wants to lie down somewhere warm, a wish we are happy to accommodate!

Our Kitty Leif was adopted during the Pandemic on Halloween when Tony fell for his sad-boi tale and scooped him up out of the shelter.