They met the first week of their junior year at a party that James fraternity was hosting, and to their surprise, they had Four Lokos. They say their first exchange was "You have four lokos here? That's crazy!" Eventually, they ended up talking in a music filled room and found out they were both from the Chicago Suburbs. James says the moment he knew Samantha was the one was during a week night, a few weeks later, when she surprised him with McDonalds and not one, but two, buffalo sauces - the way to his heart. Through many long hours of talking, snap chatting, studying, a few barn dances, and dinner dates they made it official during James semi-formal winter dance on December 3, 2016 and the rest is history.

Originally, James had set up a date night at a restaurant overlooking Lake Michigan on Friday, April 7th to surprise Samantha with a ring and the promise of forever. Due to Samantha coming down with a cold, they had to cancel their date night unexpectedly. With quick thinking, James came up with an alternative plan and decided to pop the question during a beautiful morning walk along the lake front on April 9, 2023. They celebrated at the restaurant that they were originally supposed to go to for dinner, with champagne and brunch. They are so excited to celebrate this next chapter in their lives with all of the special people that have been a part of their journey!