top of page
_edited.png)
The story starts on January 31, 2022
Annie and Kyle start this average, mundane Monday like they do every other day - by doing the New York Times Mini Crossword puzzle.
later that evening...
Kyle stumbles across Annie on the internet. The second thing he noticed (the first being her ear-to-ear smile) was a that she was fellow lover of crosswords. He shoots his shot and she immediately responds, if only to prove she did the crossword a whole minute faster than this stranger on the internet.
And for some reason, Annie says yes to her first and only Hinge date.
the first date
Kyle says Annie was 20 minutes late, but Annie swears she was a very appropriate and respectable five. Kyle planned a few stops in Wicker Park before Annie was going to meet up with friends. But after an Allagash White at Bangers & Lace (because Annie was nervous and the menu was alphabetical), a shared a booth at Bordel, and "just one more round" at Little Victories, Annie cancels on her friends.
2/22/22
After a whole four dates, Kyle pops the "will you be my girlfriend?" question. About damn time!
The first trip
About a month into dating, Annie and Kyle plan their first vacation in hopes of chasing warmer weather. The cheapest flights would land them in either Guadalajara or Orange County, and so off to Laguna Beach they went.
Highlights of the trip include unseasonably cold weather, canceled Nobu reservations for pizza and Pacificos at a dive bar, Kyle beating Annie in every single Rummy match, and a cloudy beach picnic at Treasure Island. All of this may sound like a disaster, but they both swear they've never laughed harder or smiled more in their lives.
moving in
As Kyle was looking for his next apartment, he asked Annie to tag along to get her opinion. But in the back of their minds, they knew they were looking for enough closet space for two.
It was a perfect June day in 2023 when Annie packed up the home she shared with her three best friends (and bridesmaids!) and officially became roommates with Kyle in West Loop. And even though Kyle picked an apartment with tons of storage space, Annie ended up taking over four out of the five closets.
welcome to california
Many of Annie and Kyle's dinner table conversations involved dreams of one day moving back to where they had their first trip. And in late summer 2023, one day came much sooner than anticipated. So, these lifelong Midwesterners packed up their shared apartment and headed for Southern California.
Here, they landed on Sunset Avenue with an orange tree in the yard and the beach just a short walk to the west. Their weekends felt more like vacations and the palm trees still haven't gotten old. They settled into their bungalow, trained for a marathon, and got used to taking red eyes back home.
annie and kyle get hitched
Kyle knew he wanted to marry Annie since their first trip. The timing was finally right, so he bought a ring, called her family, and planned a surprise trip back to Laguna.
Annie packed a bag without knowing the destination (a tough feat for any girl) and willingly let herself be kidnapped. She had an inkling of where this escapade would end, but, to be fair, she had the same inkling every time they left the house for the last year.
Kyle led Annie to the beach where they had their picnic just two years before, except this time there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Here, they said yes to forever.
bottom of page