Mike and Cristina are getting married

Facebook Dating, a flash in the pan and likely a futile offering from Facebook to capitalize on the online dating scene, sounds like an ill-advised way to meet your better half. If you look up success stories coming from Facebook Dating, you will be scouring the deep web to find anything remotely positive. The closest is one testimony stating, "I tried Facebook Dating once. It solidified my conviction to don the robes and become a nun. Bendicion, Facebook Dating." And yet, four years, 2,920 dog walks, and roughly 5,345 miles of flying later, Cristina Corrigan and Michael "Mike" Constantino would not be commemorating their love for each other if not for Facebook Dating. During that long ago and far-off time of... pre Covid life... circa early December 2019, Mike's perfectly leaning-hiking photo caught Cristina's eye. She was either swept away by his penchant for including only photos of him outdoors and flexing, or she was at her wit's end fielding through other outdoor and flexing guy's photos only they were all much whiter. Either way, both Mike and Cristina swiped in the direction that would eventually lead them to their first date. Botched first date. Mike flaked because he was in between two travels. He assured Cristina he was not trying to bail and that he had every intent on rescheduling. Cristina likely raised her eyebrows and pursed her lips incredulously, but she indulged and decided to wait and see. Lo and behold, Mike reached out after the new year rang in 2020... yup, you know where this is heading... and they scheduled their first date at Chicago's Kibbitsnest. Both Cristina and Mike, in the early months of their coupling, did not let subzero temperatures get in the way of getting to know each other. They found similarities in their backgrounds, being curvy and caucasian, Hispanic and American, dog-loving, socially conscious, UChicago employees, and so on. The gift of gab came easy to them, laughing nights away and talking about their passions in reading, exploring, and doing. Their dates were some of the legends, traversing the plains of Chicago to all of the hippest of locales, like Improv Shakespeare, Magic Parlor, and watching "The Birdcage" at the Music Box... ok, maybe not the hippest locales. As their growing fondness for one another developed, so too did a pandemic, looming and piercing the headlines, only looking to separate this newfound couple. The pandemic was a harrowing moment in history, but in these uncontrollable times, Cristina and Mike found warmth with each other. They mostly quarantined with one another, participating in virtual party nights, virtual yoga, virtual cooking classes, and eventually virtual financial advising with Justin from Facet. If you need advising, Cristina and Mike get $100 per person for a referral if you go with Justin Flores. Spelled J-U-S-T-I-N F-L-O-R-E-S. The experience of quarantine only further deepened their connection... and expedited the standard timeline of moving in with one another. Since those days, Cristina and Mike have remained committed to each other, traveling as often as possible (sorry Justin), raising two dogs, starting a real estate empire, and always pushing each other to be their better selves. In 2023, they bought a condo and relocated their small family into their shoe-box property in Chicago, but that was only the next step in their journey. They knew the profession of their love for one another in marriage was only a matter of time. Cristina and Mike prioritize their friends and family, new experiences, and quality time in the Great British Bake-Off Tent. They do not need a piece of paper stamped "married" because their commitment to one another transcends stamps... and yet, they love a party and the opportunity to cut it up on a dance floor. They invite everyone into their story because this couple would not be where they are without everyone who has touched their lives, including you, Mark. This wedding is dedicated to Mark.