We hear love stories born out of happenstance – two people being in the right place at the right time. However, there’s always a special tickle in our hearts when we hear about stories of childhood friends falling in love.

This is exactly how Gary and Lina’s story came about. They’ve known each other since they were 5 – from helping each other with their coloring assignments and playing PS1 games (Crash of Bandicoot, Spyro and Eggs of Steel). They went through years of not seeing each other until one day, he asked her out during a bike ride. Some people are apprehensive about young love but these two beat the odds. They realized how much they really loved each other when distance tested their relationship – when he studied abroad in Germany for a year. He never ceased to surprise her though as he made conscious effort to surprise her with flowers or randomly show up at her door during a scheduled Skype date. Admirable. Thoughtful. Fast forward to almost a decade later, it’s not hard to believe they’re about to tie the knot.

Can you believe this couple found us on Reddit? Who knew! We just realized how many people actually really use this to ask just about anything! It wasn’t hard to get along with them. They’re so chill and have such great sense of humor! There were a few hiccups scheduling the engagement session. For some reason, weather has not been on our side this season. Nevertheless, we finally made it happen. They showed up with such a classy look. They fashionably matched both (interestingly) backdrops that featured the Neo-renaissance architecture of Central Library in Milwaukee and the urban feel of an industrial bridge close to Lakefront Brewery. We ended the night with a nice dinner at Bavette La Boucheri. Side note, they probably have one of the best beef carpaccio we’ve ever had!

Of the few times we’ve hung out with them, we can already tell it would be a fun wedding from their hilarious stories. We’re looking forward to celebrating your nuptials enriched with Russian culture!