Connect How did your love story begin?

After matching on a dating app, we planned our first date to see a classic silent film in Chicago; however, we began sending voice notes to each other before meeting. It became like listening to our favorite podcast every time we received a note from each other and made us grow closer before meeting in person. On our first date, we bought matching movie posters from the theater. Those posters are now framed and hang next to each other in our home!

What is your favorite memory you've shared as a couple?

Like many weddings, most of our time was spent in front of our friends and family and we did not have much time to ourselves. A few months after our wedding, on the anniversary of our engagement, we drove to a beautiful state park. There was no one else around as it was the middle of January, and we stood on the shoreline of a lake to reread our vows to each other. While it was beautiful to hear them the first time, it was even more special to hear them with just the two of us present.

What would you do with $20,000?

With $20,000 we would begin to invest in our dream of opening an independent movie theater. If it weren't for independent theaters, our love story never would have begun. As we hope to have a child soon, the dream of opening this theater seems difficult without additional savings. Winning this prize would help us make this dream a reality! We would be able to share our love for film with our city in a new way, and potentially help others start their own love stories!