Our story technically begins at Windy City Smokeout in July 2021… or so Mark likes to claim. Sami, however, may have forgotten meeting him that first time!

Fast forward almost a year and a half, and fate stepped in when both joined a co-ed kickball team, the Kickelbacks. That team brought them closer together and eventually led to Mark being invited to Sami’s Christmas party in December 2022.

One thing led to another, and the very next day they spontaneously bought tickets to a Chicago Bears game with best friends, Paul & Syd. After an unforgettable Sunday, the two broke off from the group and ended up at Butch McGuire’s — their favorite bar in the world, and now a staple in their story. It was there, over a few Guinnesses, that Mark officially asked Sami to be his girlfriend.

After a few wonderful years of dating, on May 10, 2025, Mark proposed to Sami along the Chicago lakefront — one of their favorite places to walk together and take in the city skyline.

Our story has always been shaped by the love and support of our friends and family, and we feel so lucky to have come full circle — now celebrating this next chapter surrounded by all of our favorite people on our wedding day.