"I think all best friends hope that one day their kids become friends too. They joke “maybe they’ll even get married!”. But when Tom Stanker and Wayne Blough met in the summer of 1975, I don’t think they ever imagined that would actually come true. Our love story officially began in Champaign, Illinois in 2012 when Billy and my dad were building a house together. Craving a little night life and escape from the town they’d been working in, Billy decided to join my dad to see me perform at a U of I jazz club called the Iron Post. Although we've known each other our entire lives, this was the first night that Billy wasn't just “my dad’s best friend’s son” or “that kid I’ve known my whole life and spent every New Years with.” After finishing my set, I shamelessly flirted with him (in front of my father…something I’d never done before). Billy shamelessly flirted right back - showing off his art skills by drawing an eye for me on a bar napkin. Just like in any great love story - the soundtrack for the evening was a mix of jazz and my dad’s nervous laughter. For a year we casually flirted. He would come to watch me sing, I would comment on his Facebook posts, but nothing much came of it. When my wonderful Grandma passed away, he was there supporting my family and smiling at the stories we told about her. Who said that a funeral wasn’t a good place to pick up women? It took one 11-hour date for us to be completely hooked on one another. And while the next few years took us all over, sometimes together, sometimes apart, we were always a constant in each other’s lives. Now, 10-ish years worth of memories later and we’ve traveled, renovated our apartment and added 2 dogs to our family. When Billy popped the question on a walk through Central Park during our annual New York trip, it was (as Sara Bareilles would say) an easy, earned, relaxed “yes”, with a light sprinkling of me saying “this is crazy” about 100 times. We’re so exciting to be stepping into this new chapter of our lives together with you all by our side!"

"As with all great loves stories, ours is one that spans a lifetime. Kels and I grew up together though we only ever saw each other as "my dad's best friend's kid." We spent countless New Years Eves together ringing in the new year. And as those years passed, we both grew older and walked our own paths. We reunited when her dad and I went to see her sing at the Iron Post. I remember that night vividly to this day. It's the first time I had ever heard her sing and I could have listened for hours. She was no longer "my dad's best friend's kid" and I knew our journey together had only just begun. Our relationship continued to grow over the years. Like most things that grow, there were good times and there were tough times. But the tough times taught us to strengthen our roots, and the good times allowed our love to blossom. When the pandemic brought Kelsey back from LA, and back into my life, we decided that we'd both prefer to grow together rather than apart. A few remodels, a new pup and a year and a half later, I was down on my knee in central park, asking her to spend the rest of our lives together. She said yes :D I'm looking forward to every day Kels and I get to spend together. I'm looking forward to more adventures and travels. I'm looking forward to building a family and our life together. I'm looking forward to countless more New Years Eves and growing old together."