Joey and Diana’s love story goes all the way back to high school. They ran in the same circle of friends and graduated together in 2009. They stayed in touch even after going off to separate colleges, meeting up every year at a mutual friend’s party or a bar. Then one night back in the fall of 2017, the stars aligned. After a heavy storm prevented their plans to go to a friend’s barbecue, they decided to meet up at a pub in the city. The two ended up staying and talking about everything under the sun, from whiskey and baseball to hopes and dreams, until the sun rose at 6am. The rest, of course, is happily ever after.

The proposal was similarly dreamy. It happened last July, when they had plans to go to the Naperville Ale Fest. They walked to the fest through the Naperville Riverwalk, where they had frequented before on their weekly Sunday ice cream dates. When they got to the bridge, Joey popped the question. “Yes!” shouted a shocked Diana, before both of their parents jumped out of nearby bushes to congratulate them (much to Diana’s further shock). Afterwards they all went to the Ale fest to celebrate with their closest family and friends, which they both say is their favorite memory from the day.

Throughout their friendship, they’ve always had a little crush on each other, but the timing never really worked out until that night. Diana always admired the way Joey balanced his academics and athletics, and now loves how she can rely on Joey for his strength to keep things calm even when life gets chaotic. Joey loved Diana’s adventurous spirit, and they way she is always up for a road trip. 

Joey knew Diana was the one when she spent the night in the hospital to help him take care of his younger brother. Diana really knew Joey was the one when back in April 2018, she came home to find that her apartment in the city was robbed. She first called Joey (shockingly her dad was no longer the first call), who immediately left work and ran from the L stop, almost beating the police to the scene. Out of breath at this point, Joey met Diana at her apartment to make sure she was okay. What a guy!

Their relationship is supported by the mutual importance they place on hard work, family time, and prioritizing each other. They spend so much time together, in fact, that they can even finish each other’s sentences! They both value time for daily prayer and going to church every Sunday, and credit their faith for helping them through both the good times and the bad.

They can’t wait to celebrate with their closest family and friends on the big day, to cherish in all the big life events and small moments in between, and most importantly, share all the future ice cream dates together!