Amanda joined the dating app Hinge on a whim late one night at the end of December 2022. By the next morning when she woke up, she had a thoughtful message from Chris. At first, their messages were brief, but they soon began talking almost daily. As Amanda was in the middle of directing a musical at the time, their opportunities to meet in person were very limited, but Chris patiently waited for six weeks until Amanda had an opening in her schedule. After a busy workday, they met at Krannert on a Friday evening for a piano recital that ended up being much longer than either of them anticipated (especially pre-dinner). Thankfully, Chris asked Amanda to go to dinner afterward, and as they ate and her hanger dissipated, they began to realize just how much they had in common, and planned for a second date.

Dates once a week turned into multiple days a week as soon as Amanda's musical was done, and it wasn't long before the two of them were spending as much time as possible together. By the end of May, they had already signed up to do ballroom dancing classes together, something that they continue to enjoy today. They took their first trip together to the wine trail in Southern Illinois, and it remains a special place for them to return every Labor Day weekend. (So special, in fact, that they chose to have their wedding there a few years later!)

Fast forward to February 3rd, 2025, the anniversary of that fateful (and hangry) first date at Krannert two years prior. As it was a Monday evening (once again during musical season), they planned on having an easy night in and cooking dinner together. But Chris had other plans. When opening their anniversary cards they had written for each other, Chris admitted that he did not stick to their plan to not get each other anniversary gifts. Amanda's annoyance at this quickly faded as he got down on one knee and proposed.

This brings us to today, as Amanda and Chris are excitedly planning their wedding. They can't wait to spend the rest of their lives together and are thrilled to be sharing this momentous day with all of you. Thank you for being such an important part of their journey, and they will see you on August 30th when they say "I do."