Thomas here! I saw Amanda when she was at the first practice in my fraternity for a greek life dance competition. Initially, I was stunned by her beauty. I finally gained the courage to go up to the coach and ask to join the dance team (only if I could be paired with Amanda). The next day, I arrived early to what is the beginning of our love story. With every practice and flip, I began falling in love with her. From the competition day, on, we have been inseparable. We finished our time at Michigan State University together as a couple.

Amanda here! During prime time COVID, we graduated from Michigan State. I moved home to start my master's degree, and brought Thomas with me. While on the job hunt, Thomas worked on Grandpa Leroy's farm (if you know, you know). We spent lots of time together doing manual labor, fishing and canoeing on the S.S. Sunflower in Hayward, Wisconsin. Through these trying times, there was one thing that remained, we dreamed of traveling Europe together for the first time in both our lives. Thomas landed a job, I received my master's degree, and we moved into our first apartment in Chicago. Along with working full time, to help reach our Europe goal, we worked at Chicago Teacher Store (the greatest teacher supply store operated for over 20 years by our wedding officiant and beloved family member, Belinda Bliss). With lots of hard work, we accomplished our dream of traveling to Europe. We ate too much cheese in Paris, climbed the hills of Lisbon, drank great wine in Tuscany. & on April 5th, 2023, became engaged in Parma, Italy.

Two years to the day later, we will live out another dream of ours -- becoming husband and wife. We are thrilled and so grateful to welcome you to our neighborhood & favorite city -- Wicker Park, Chicago for our matrimony. Now, come meet us on the dance floor!