Summertime Chi magic was in the air on August 10, 2019…

Jay had spent the entire afternoon with friends at the beach on Lake Michigan, and just when he thought it was time to call it a day, his curiosity about a lively group at Woodie’s sports bar in Old Town led him to make one final stop. Inside, Ellie and her friends were on a golf-themed bar crawl through the city and were in need of a new teammate—Jay was ready, willing, and able to join! Less than a week later, we went on our first, official date to Ranalli’s, a beloved neighborhood restaurant in Lincoln Park. We spent the evening outside on the patio eating pizza, getting to know each other, and beginning to fall in love.

Over the next several years, we enjoyed exploring our Chicago neighborhoods together (primarily on our bikes), swimming in Lake Michigan, cheering on the Cubbies, listening to live music, searching for the best diner breakfasts in the city, and building a happy life together with our friends and families.

In 2023, we moved to Charlottesville, Virginia for Ellie to pursue her MBA at The University of Virginia and Jay to begin his career in real estate (and to pursue a few new hobbies like golf and hunting). Jay proposed on July 26, 2024 in Charlottesville and we celebrated with a special weekend getaway in Shenandoah National Park. A week later, we extended the celebrations with Ellie’s family at their cottage on the lake in Canada.

We are so excited to take this next step together and hope that you will be able to join us for the wedding weekend in Louisville!

Love,
Ellie & Jay