Our story started with a match—literally. Jackie landed in Louisville for yet another year of school, expecting a new city, new routines, and plenty of new bourbon to explore. What she didn’t expect was meeting someone who’d grown up here and knew every shortcut, hole‑in‑the‑wall restaurant, and local quirk the city had to offer. It all started with a Starry Night in August of 2022; It was only a hangout (Jackie said) and thankfully, she still decided to Van Gogh.

We knew there was something there—why else would we stay out talking until midnight on a work night. There were nonstop smiles, easy laughter, and a comfort that showed up far earlier than either of us expected. Our hearts were racing a bit too…though that might’ve been the Malört shots Jackie insisted on, just to make sure he was truly Chicago‑worthy.

Six months of casual banter had passed until the Luck of the Irish struck on St. Patrick’s Day. Smiles, laughter, beating hearts had returned. We decided to give this friendship a different title and upgraded to the exclusive club. What ensued afterwards was months full of exploring our relationship in our city.

Not long after Jackie settled into life in Louisville—and maybe started falling for the guy she met there—she headed to Kansas City for her final year of training. It took Danny about two weeks to show up, making it pretty clear that distance wasn’t going to slow anything down. If anything, it opened the door to a year of some of our favorite adventures together, from Chicago and New Orleans to Cancun and even Thailand.

As fun as the travel was, what we really looked forward to was building a life in the same place again. So after a quick year apart, it was back to Louisville. That’s when the next promotion occurred: Roommates. The exclusive club expanded to four—two humans and two very spoiled fur‑children. This new chapter brought plenty of excitement: a new home, new jobs, and the occasional Malört…because some traditions unfortunately stick.

On an August summer day, it was in the hills of Red River Gorge where we had our next milestone. An afternoon of planning our trail and hiking (with plenty of sweat) to find the perfect spot. Once we reached a breathtaking overlook, Danny knew it was finally time for the special moment: A botched proposal. Down on one knee with the other leg cramping as she took the longest panoramic photo ever. Only to turn around to say “Yes!” to the age-old question of “Will you be my…girlfriend?”

This is our story. One swipe turned into a conversation, a "hangout", and eventually a life that neither of us saw coming when Jackie first unpacked her boxes in Kentucky. A true Chicago Bears fan could summarize the progression of our relationship as Good, Better, Best. The next chapter of our story begins on October 10, 2026, alongside the people we love the most: our friends and family that have guided us to be the people we are today. We truly appreciate everyone’s love and support over these past four years that culminates to a day of celebration. We are grateful to spend time with you during a weekend full of fun, food, music, dancing, and drinks (both Malört and Bourbon…just don’t mix the two).

With Love,

Danny and Jackie