Hallie and Danny

It all began with a simple follow on Instagram. Hallie followed Danny from one of her social accounts—something she didn’t think much of at the time. But Danny noticed. He reached out, suggesting they grab coffee or a drink. Hallie, busy as ever, politely brushed it off, not realizing he was trying to ask her out. That was, until he said, “Sorry if I’m being forward…” and it clicked. She cleared her schedule—and thank goodness she did.

Their first official date was at Bar Siena in Chicago during COVID. With masks on and the world half shut down, something unexpectedly real and magical started that night. They hit it off instantly and ended up spending the next ten days straight together before Hallie headed out of town for the holidays to visit her parents in Florida and Colorado.

By January, Hallie had moved back in with her parents in the suburbs with the plan of working remotely from Florida—but instead, she found herself back in the city… basically living at Danny’s apartment. By August, they were officially searching for a place together and eventually moved into their first apartment with Hallie’s dog, Brooklyn. Around Christmas that same year, they added a second puppy Lucci to the mix—and even though it had only been about a year, they both knew: this was it.

The two-dog, two-bedroom life wasn’t cutting it. Danny was only willing to move to the suburbs if they could find a home to remodel—or build from scratch. So, they started looking. The market was competitive, but by June 2022, they found the house they would transform into their dream home. Over the next two and a half years, they knocked down walls, worked with architects and designers, and built their dream home—all while working full-time jobs.

To save on costs & be close to their project, they moved in with Hallie’s parents, Cindy and Sean, and lived with their two pups until their home was complete. It was a special time they’ll always cherish.

Just days after Hallie’s birthday in March 2025, Danny proposed—with a little help from her brother, who tricked her into thinking he had gifted her a wine dinner at Tre Dita. Knowing Hallie might try to bail on plans, Danny played it smart. On their way into the city, he pretended to forget his wallet at their brand-new home. When they stopped by, he called Hallie in, got down on one knee, and proposed in the house they had spent years building together. Afterward, he whisked her downtown for a surprise happy hour with Brad and Hallie’s cousins, then dinner at Tre Dita. A few days later, they were off to Italy to begin planning their dream wedding.

Both Italian by heritage, they always dreamed of getting married somewhere that felt meaningful—and Italy was the perfect choice. It’s romantic, timeless, and filled with family history and heart. Their wedding planning journey began there, but their adventure has only just begun.