Our Story

Like all the best love stories, ours began unexpectedly—in the front yard of a college house.

It was an unseasonably warm Saturday in March 2021. Nora, in the midst of her senior year at Creighton University, was busy working in the kitchen at Sweet Magnolias Bake Shop. A group of her friends, all recent Creighton grads, stopped by to convince her to come to a party once her shift ended. She agreed—and sent them on their way with scones.

Later that day, Nora arrived at the party and found her friends, Brad and Jack—and with them, Joe, who had graduated in 2020 but was visiting. Although Joe and Nora had crossed paths a few times and shared many mutual friends, this was the first time they truly connected. They struck up a conversation about life after graduation and Nora’s bold move to Minneapolis—she had just accepted a job there without ever having visited the city. Chicago was home for Nora, but Joe was raised in the Twin Cities, and had happily returned.

From that day forward, we never stopped talking. Facetimes, texts, long phone calls. The very next day, after a walk with friends, Nora declared, “I’m gonna marry this boy.”

In June of 2021, Nora visited Minneapolis to look for apartments—and that's when things turned romantic. Joe picked her up from her hotel (The Depot!) and took her on their first date: a tour of the city, its lakes, and his favorite spots. Nora came back to the hotel, very happy about their first kiss, and like Eloise at the Plaza, shared her excitement with the concierge, who knew she had been on a date.  He saw her enter and simply said, “well?”.  Nora smiled, and did one of her signature ‘happy dances’.

From that moment on, we were inseparable. Our dates became beautifully simple: long walks around Lake of the Isles with Daisy, beers on the patio at 1029, summer nights in the Franklin house backyard, watching storms roll in from Nora’s high-rise balcony.

We’ve grown up together—navigating new jobs, graduate school, early-twenties identity shifts, and more apartment moves than we can count. In summer 2023, we moved into our first shared apartment, just down the street from Cedar Lake. It quickly became our haven. Within those walls, we’ve built a life, dreamed about the future, and quietly, confidently decided: this is forever.

Joe likes to say we do our best thinking in two places—the Barbette patio, and on walks around Cedar Lake. In the fall of 2024, what began as an ordinary Tuesday became unforgettable: Joe proposed on the shores of Cedar Lake, surrounded by autumn leaves and everything we love about our city. It was perfect—undeniably “us”.

As we look ahead to our wedding, we’re filled with gratitude and excitement. Our love is rooted in the support and love we’ve received from the people around us. As we celebrate this next chapter, we honor not just our union, but the love you’ve all given us along the way.

We can’t wait to begin this next great adventure, (as Nora’s dad calls it) our Grand Experiment—and we’re so thrilled to share it with you.