Summer and Patrick’s love story started in Des Moines, Iowa, when they both began graduate school at Des Moines University in 2019. Patrick had moved from Massachusetts for medical school, and Summer came from Minnesota to study Physical Therapy. By chance, the two students happened to move into the same apartment complex, just two floors apart.
Before they officially met, Patrick noticed Summer at church and began thinking of her as the “cute blonde church girl.” Occasionally, Summer spotted Patrick around campus and was “borderline starstruck by his jawline and confident strut.” However, they didn’t strike up a conversation until Patrick’s new roommate – also a physical therapist – made the introduction in 2021.
“We started off as friends and Patrick was quickly accepted into the physical therapy friend group,” the couple shares. “We would go out to bars, play tennis, and cook for each other. Eventually, we established a weekly ‘family dinner’ tradition where we would alternate cooking meals with our roommates. If you ask Patrick, it was a way to try and impress Summer. He would say it worked.
“We started to spend a lot of time together and soon found out we had a lot in common. We both played hockey (although Summer played way longer and was way more successful than Patrick). We both like to go on walks, hike, cook, and we LOVE olives. More importantly, we learned that our values were aligned. We discovered that we both want families one day, we both grew up Catholic, and we were both interested in exploring the faith more deeply.”
Summer and Patrick’s friendship reached new heights after a last-minute carpool to Chicago, when they braved a five-hour car ride together.
“It was a natural fit,” they say. “The whole ride was spent chatting and belting out to any song of any artist, from Frank Sinatra to Maroon 5. We split paths for the weekend but couldn't wait for the car ride back.”
That Sunday, Patrick picked up Summer in the city for an impromptu first date—the Skydeck at the Sears Tower. It also happened to be Valentine’s Day, and their relationship unfolded into a whirlwind of dates, family visits, travels, and long-distance romance due to their busy professional schedules.
A couple years later, Patrick surprised Summer with a beautiful proposal, getting down on one knee in front of both their families. In the same spot in Des Moines where they first said, “I love you,” he popped the question and brought their Iowa love story full-circle.
“Patrick is now back in New England finishing his medical training in Emergency Medicine, and Summer is still loving her job as a Physical Therapist,” the couple adds. “We have both grown a lot individually and as a couple since we first met. We still keep the same philosophy of being intentional with each other and we both are so excited to start this new chapter in our lives!”
Photography: Two Oaks Photography