Sometimes, love has a funny way of finding you—or in our case, it took a friend tearing her ACL! Patrick and Leslie first met thanks to one of Leslie’s best friends, who happened to be Patrick’s physical therapy patient. She couldn’t stop talking about how her “cute therapist” looked like “the Asian Bachelor.” Naturally, she convinced Leslie to come along to one of her appointments.

A few days after their first meeting, Patrick smoothly slid into Leslie’s Instagram DMs and asked for her number. After some texting, he finally convinced her to meet up for coffee. They went to one of the best coffee spots in Chicago (Sawada). Patrick showed up looking sharp in a navy blue peacoat, while Leslie—who had just worked a night shift as a NICU nurse—felt like a bit of a hot mess. Still, they hit it off, talking for hours. What started as coffee turned into a spontaneous dinner of sushi and cocktails. The connection was instant, and they were pretty much inseparable after that.

Fast forward five years, and Patrick had a surprise up his sleeve during a trip to London that Leslie thought was just about seeing Arsenal play (COYG!). One morning, they planned to go on the London Eye, but Patrick suggested stopping by Big Ben for a quick picture first. Leslie, always the travel photo enthusiast, happily agreed. They found the perfect spot, and a stranger offered to take their picture in exchange for Leslie snapping a few of her own.

Little did Leslie know, that “stranger” was actually a photographer Patrick had hired to capture the big moment. After snapping a few shots, Leslie was ready to move on when Patrick said, “Wait, come back.” Before she knew it, he was down on one knee. Shocked, Leslie dropped her phone, tears of joy flowing, as the stranger switched to a fancy camera, capturing the proposal perfectly.

What started with a torn ACL led to an unforgettable proposal and the beginning of their forever. Now, they’re excited to celebrate the next chapter of their story together!

Wedding Day

Reception