Our love story began November 30, 2022, at Frida’s, where we stepped into a portal of endless “put it on the pile” similarities and effortless conversation over great food and drinks. From the loud bar at Goodfellas to Christmas Eve blizzard calls, blown fuses, and a golden Pikachu in the distance, and even a disgruntled dog walker couldn’t shake our new-found magic. We've wandered and lingered through various city streets and on many porches, finding there’s almost nothing we don’t share.

Forty-eight unforgettable hours in Philly, flying in separately—our first real test of “can we travel together?” with one of us having very high standards. We wandered without plans and walked everywhere; one thing kept leading to another: the Barnes, the oldest bar, cozy dives, a hole-in-the-wall with the best Chinese, a tiny French bistro, speakeasies, jazz, the LOVE sign, the Ben Franklin museum, rain that didn’t slow us down, and a sleepy plane ride home together with the test fully passed.

We’d build Wes’ and Jill’s dream outdoor kitchen—an extension of our 100-year-old home where the party never has to end. It would be Wes’ design playground, blending his architecture passion with Jill’s love of hosting and entertaining, giving us space to gather family from out of town, welcome friends for long evenings, and share our love and abundance over really good food, laughter, and many future celebrations.