Who knew that putting off responsibilities and looking at Tinder instead of working would yield in a love story? But that’s how we met – we both swiped right. That day brought a text conversation that lasted until 4am. Our first date happened a few days later. It was January 2021 and restaurants were still closed, so Eric made the brilliant choice to make an Italian homemade chicken parm. Matty showed up 10 minutes early (for the first and last time in this relationship) with two bottles of wine and a bag of treats for Oscar. Oscar knew it from the start- Matty was it.

As the world opened up again, so did our hearts. Dating was simple, but also the greatest adventure. Looking back, we fell in love much sooner than we said it. Maybe it was when Santos hopped on the couch to snuggle with Eric. Maybe it was when Matty danced with Eric’s friend Maria to Taylor Dayne in her living room. Or maybe it was us laughing so hard in a bouncy house for Eric’s 40th birthday party- actually it was probably that. But we knew early on that this was something special. So, when Matty got a job that was taking him to Chicago, we both decided, without speaking, that it was worth giving long distance a shot.

Honestly, when Matty drove away from Eric’s house to go to Chicago, we thought that was it. Matty was moving to another city, and we were way too new to consider Eric moving too. But then we kept texting. And sending daily emojis to say good morning, and reels to say we were thinking of each other, and our Wordle results. Dinner dates that used to be across the table from each other became something across screens, turning into 4-hour conversations. We planned frequent trips to Chicago and Philadelphia, and shared in trips around the country and Mexico, returning home for the holidays.

The routine of phone calls, FaceTime, occasional visits worked for a while. But each goodbye got harder. A little over a year into the long distance set up, while sitting at 2SP in Delco, we had a thinking beer that led into a conversation about moving in together. Eric made the choice easy for Matty. While falling deeper in love with Matty, Eric began a love affair with Chicago. I mean, there is a wine bar INSIDE the grocery store! A year later, we packed Eric’s Subaru and drove off from his house to start a new adventure.

Being in Chicago is at times beautifully mundane and wonderfully chaotic. Exploring Andersonville (where the “home by 9 gays” go to live) together has been a dream come true. Whether you find us at Lady Gregory’s enjoying a glass of wine, at Atmosphere watching Drag Race before we go home for our Friday night pizza, loving a summer beach day at Hollywood Beach, or on our daily journey to the Jewels, you likely catch us laughing at and with each other. The daily routine is something we don’t take for granted- we waited two years to have it! In short- this life is perfect.

On October 13, 2024, after a work event where Eric made Costco charcuterie boards to support Matty’s party, we went to a later dinner at Mott St in Wicker Park. It was there, over the best woodfired mushrooms ever, that we looked at each other, cried a little, and decided to get married. It was only afterwards that we realized Mott St was the first restaurant we went to when Matty moved to Chicago in 2021. We took it as a sign that it’s meant to be.

So here we are- getting married! We had a lot of thoughts and ideas on how to do this wedding, but in the end, we just wanted something truly us: a short ceremony and then a beach day. Our life together so far has been living in the magic of the simple pleasures of each day, so it seems natural to celebrate in one of our favorite places where we’d spend a Saturday anyway.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed for good weather and party on the beach!