Our story starts in Minnesota. Riley being from Litchfield, MN and Nick from Thousand Oaks, CA -there was no real reason for these two to meet other than, fate.

On a Friday night in September of their college Freshman years (Nick at SJU, Riley at Concordia-Moorhead) they met through a mutual friend. After months of talking, and few visits, Riley and Nick decided to make it official.

They both decided to be in a long distance relationship and I mean, long distance. Throughout their college years, they would drive two hours to see one another on weekends during the school year and spend summers apart in California, Minnesota and Arizona. This was challenging, but also allowed N&R to establish strong communication and foundations.

Riley was such a smartie that she graduated in three years and accepted a job with an indy league baseball team in the Chicago area. 1.5 years later Nick finished out his degree, and they had a big decision to make: continue doing long distance, or, finally live in the same place. They decided to take the next step, and the pair bunked up in Schaumburg, IL.

4 years later, Riley and Nick remain happy living in the Chicago suburbs, currently residing in Arlington Heights, IL. They've spent the years transitioning between jobs, and rentals, learning so much about each other, and ultimately they realized how special this relationship was.

In May of 2021, Riley and Nick went to vacation in Charleston, SC. Only, Riley didn't realize what Nick was planning, a proposal. But, when Nick was at the airport he realized something terrible had happened. He forgot the ring and in a panic was trying to figure something out. Nick and his sister found a suitable replacement, an ornament, which Riley loves to collect on vacation, and a dummy ring she could wear until they got home. In Charleston, Nick proposed with the ornament and Riley said yes. They were both more than ready to marry each other. The pair did a second proposal with the actual ring once they got back from Charleston.

Nick & Riley have been through a lot over their 8+ years together! Continuing to grow as they go, helps them grow together. There has been a lot of change and growth from the girl Nick met when he was 19 and the guy Riley met when she was 18, but they've managed to do it together.

We are so excited to celebrate the next big step for us, a wedding with all of our favorite people!

Registry