Syd and Ali actually met in high school! They both attended Michigan City High School, where Ali was a year ahead of Syd. While they didn’t interact much at the time, they were both deeply involved in extracurriculars—which led to a now-iconic photo snapped by Syd’s mom: the two shaking hands on stage as Ali inducted Syd into the National Honor Society. Neither of them knew then that they’d one day be planning a wedding together.

Years later, during a Thanksgiving break, Ali—then a sophomore at Wabash College—and Syd—a freshman at Ball State—reconnected in their hometown. Their first date was a stroll through an antique store followed by meeting Syd’s parents (an impressively bold move!). The connection was instant, and they’ve been laughing together every day since.

Though they spent their college years at different schools, the distance never felt far. After the wedding and Syd’s final semester of graduate school, they plan to make their home together in Carmel, Indiana.

Professionally, Ali is a Certified Financial Planner at Valeo Financial Advisors, and Syd is a therapist for teens and young adults on the autism spectrum. Outside of work, they love taking long walks on nice days, visiting zoos and making friends with exotic animals, hunting for treasures at antique stores and farmer’s markets, and cuddling up for their favorite shows. They live for small joys and call everything they do together a “date”—coffee dates, laundry dates, oil change dates, even boiled peanut dates.

They also share their lives with Goose, Syd’s mischievous (and highly opinionated) cat. Their little family is full of love, laughter, and shared snacks—and they can’t wait to celebrate the start of this next chapter with you.