(Ruthie is telling the story)

We met at Judge’s Bar in Joliet, IL in 2019. The night we met, we both thought the other was cute, but we didn’t say anything about it! We spent the night with our friends, leaving the bar to go night swimming and drinking with our group until the morning hours. Dan had to go to work early the next day, and it was time to turn in for the night. A few days passed before I asked a friend for Dan’s phone number, and when I said I had left my bathing suit on the back patio, Dan said he would meet with me again at Judge’s to return it. I went to meet him that night, the night after that, and the night after that. It was pretty quick that we developed feelings for each other. The joke we tell is I spent the night at Dan’s house the first night and never went back home. It isn’t too far from the truth! Fast forward to New Year’s Eve, 2022…Dan proposed at Judge’s Bar surrounded by our friends. Now two and a half years later, right before our 5th anniversary, we get to celebrate our wedding with our favorite people! ❤️