Zach and Alex met in 2020. Zach had just moved back home to St. Louis from Chicago, after living there for 12 years and Alex had just switched careers. Although they stayed healthy during the Pandemic, Covid had affected their lives and jobs in many ways.

Zach and Alex’s parents had been good friends for many years. Alex’s mother Trish, and Zach's parents, Pete and Sharon, had known each other since Junior High and Senior High school. As many people did during Covid, Zach's parents decided to have a socially distanced driveway party. Zach had never met Alex before, and Alex had never met Zach, but according to some neighbors, there may have been some initial sparks that first night.

Fast forward some weeks later, Zach asked Alex to grab a bite to eat. What was initially an innocent friend-invite to Mission Taco in the Loop became a bi-weekly tradition, and a blossoming romance began. Over the next few months, Alex and Zach would share many memories together, such as discovering their favorite restaurants, seeing many concerts, festivals, and sporting events, and even touring Zach’s old stomping grounds in Chicago.

In January of 2023, Zach asked Trish for a bite to eat after work at the Village Bar, while Alex was working late. Zach's message to Trish may have been too cryptic but fortunately, it was all good news and Zach asked her for permission to ask Alex to marry him that coming May while taking a trip with Zach's family to Ireland.

At the Cliff House, in Ardmore in the County of Waterford in Ireland, looking out over Ardmore Bay, Zach popped the question to Alex. With the hotel staff clued in on the momentous occasion and waiting on the perimeter with cameras in hand, and Pete and Sharon upstairs nervously awaiting the news, Alex said yes.

Although Covid was a tragic, frightening experience that affected so many lives, for Alex and Zach, there was a silver lining through it all.

Zach and Alex are thrilled to celebrate their special day with everyone and can’t wait to start their future together!

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