Client love

Kathleen & Zachary | The Ivy House

Vendors

Venue: The Ivy House | Photographer: RCC Photography | Dessert: The Whisk Chick | Caterer: Smoke Shack | DJ: Milwaukee Airwaves

Love Story

Where do I begin with these two. Their love story really does feel like reading a romance novel or sweet love notes. Kathleen and Zach grew up 7 houses down from each other in their hometown of Sioux City, Iowa. They were in the same social circles throughout high school, but never dated. It wasn’t until after Kathleen’s first and Zach’s second year of college that Zach approached her at a music festival in their hometown and asked her for “20 minutes of her time” the following day. They ended up going on a walk around one of their neighborhood parks where he told her had liked her for years and wish he had reached out before they both started dating other people in high school. Kathleen was flattered but also shocked as Zach was so shy in high school and she didn’t feel like she really knew him that well. They ended up dating long distance all throughout college (him in Iowa City and her in Chicago) and even when Kathleen studied abroad a semester in Vietnam. Kathleen was placed in Milwaukee for her first job and Zach found a job there shortly after. They’ve had a long-time coming but love doing life together — and with their adorable pup Wayne.

How they describe each other to someone hearing about them for the first time:

Kathleen has one of the greatest moral compasses you’ll ever see. Her combination of kindness, passion, and intellect is unmatched, and just being in her presence makes you want to become the best version of yourself. She is relentless in her pursuit to become the best educator she can be, and has a knack for connecting with her students. She cares deeply about her relationships, and she has surrounded herself with so many wonderful friends. She’s a great dog mom, and a perfect life partner.

Zach is the epitome of cool, calm, and collected- emphasis on the cool. He has patience like I’ve never seen before and I’m pretty sure he’s an angel. He is a little shy, but incredibly grounding and is able to strike up a conversation with anyone and make them laugh and feel seen in the process. While he tries to be as humble as possible, it’s hard not to notice how smart and driven he is. I can’t count the number of people who have told me how lucky I am and I’m reminded every day when he helps take care of me and our little life we’ve built.