Our Story

1995

Both Natalia and Derek were born in Bloomington-Normal, IL during the month of March—only 9 days apart—in hospitals across town from one another.

Natalia Lee Warren

Derek Steven Ambrose

2009–2013

They both attended and graduated from Normal Community West High School. One could say this is where they met, but the two don’t remember it. Derek and Natalia both swam for their respective men’s and women’s swim teams at school, and APPARENTLY were in a math class together senior year. Alas, they only ever knew of each other.

A familiar face, a friend of friends. Enough to be facebook friends, but that’s all (for now).

2013–2017

Derek: University of Wisconsin Milwaukee

Derek went up to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, located in… well Milwaukee, WI. He started his collegiate career in architecture, but after the first 3 semesters he found himself gravitating towards the Lubar School of Business where he changed majors to focus on a degree in marketing. It was there that Derek fell in love with Milwaukee. His shy demeanor was no more, gaining lifetime friends from college, showing off his new favorite city to his oldest friends and family, and eventually came back to his faith in 2019.

Natalia: Judson University

Natalia went to Judson University, in Elgin, IL, to study Graphic Design. She made some of her best friends, thrived in the rigorous academic environment, and had the adventure of a lifetime studying abroad and exploring Europe with her best buds. Natalia fell in love with the small, walkable city of Florence, and hoped to live in a walkable place from that time onward.

2018–2022

Derek: Milwaukee, WI

If you ask him, Derek will say these were some of the most formative years that turned him into the man Natalia would eventually want to marry. In 2019 he came back to his faith at MIX Church, a non-denominational church based out of Milwaukee. There he made even more life long friends, and fostered yet another community he came to know and love. During this time Derek’s passion for making wine also accelerated to the prospect of starting a small business, and even lead him all the way to Africa in the spring of 2020 before the pandemic put a temporary pause on his dream. This was also Derek’s “wedding season” where all of his friends seemed to get married, and prompted him to focus for a whole year on his career, faith, and who he desires in a best friend to spend the rest of his life with.

(Note: Derek will not have any of his homemade wine at the wedding. Planning a wedding in 2 months does not give him time to make it. If this upsets you please plan a trip to come visit the newlyweds and he will gladly pour you some!)

Natalia: Elgin, IL

Natalia stayed in Elgin to live in a small city with her best friends and establish herself in her design career. Plus, downtown Elgin was only steps away from her apartment.

Through the pandemic, Natalia’s community in Elgin became even more tight-knit. She got involved in a church plant that quickly became a beloved group of folks mobilized to serve Elgin and beyond.

She decided to buy an old house in the historic district and invite her close friends to live there with her. Home ownership was a big step and she learned a ton!

Winter 2022–Spring 2023

After the year of singleness and focus that Derek took for himself, he knew exactly the kind of woman he wanted to marry. That kind of woman is someone who, at her core, loves Jesus. Of all the places Derek looked first, what caught his eye was the only “friend” he had ever connected with on the Bible App on his phone, Natalia Warren.

From there he made his way to Instagram to look over her profile. While he never spoke with her in high school, he still remembered her a little bit. Derek investigated her social media finding several posts of nature, family, and most importantly… no other guys! So he casually started commenting on her posts and stories, attempting to start a conversation. Natalia only ever responded by “liking” the message or a non-conversational response.

This went on for about 4 months, until finally, Derek’s consistency paid off with a birthday message.

In the new year, Natalia found an exciting new job by networking on social media. At her birthday dinner in March, she told her friends: A great job was waiting for me thanks to my connections online. All I had to do was look out for it. I bet I can find a great guy the same way.

The next day, she checked her messages to find Derek’s birthday message. She started scrolling upward and noticed for the first time that he might be trying to get to know her. She decided that if he tried again, she’d respond with a bit more intention.

After some back and forth attempts to schedule a first date, the two discovered it was either that upcoming Saturday… or wait 2 months for a first date. Just as they did for this wedding, they decided to not wait and jump right in! The date (in Elgin) started off with a game of pickleball, including 5 of Natalia’s close friends to ensure Derek was not too weird but also the right kind of weird. He must have been the right kind since the pickleball game lead to them spending the whole afternoon together. Immediately, they connected over their amazing communities of family and friends, their faith and love of nature, and shared hopes and dreams to own a Labrador one day, and marry someone they can call their best friend.

Across oceans and timezones they continued to talk for the next month before their second date in Milwaukee. Natalia got her dog, Honey, that summer to fulfill her dream of dog ownership. Not long after Honey came into the picture, Derek asked Natalia to be his girlfriend. She said no (not yet). A few months later, during a Local Natives concert in Milwaukee, Natalia casually leaned over and asked Derek if he still wanted to be her boyfriend. He said yes, of course.

Over the next 2 years they fostered a relationship. Their first holiday season together was met with hardship. Derek’s family was struck by the great loss of his maternal Grandfather and Grandmother. During his time of grief and hardship Natalia sat alongside Derek, comforting and caring for him. That is when he realized that Natalia is the woman he wanted to marry.

That summer included several far-away weddings, prompting their first big road trip (Souix Falls) and first international trip (Crete). These adventures had ups and downs including FaceTime planning sessions, flight delays, stressors, problem-solving, adventure, and so much fun. Natalia treasured every moment, and her love for Derek shifted into a clear vision for long-term partnership. By the final weddings of the season in Bloominton-Normal, she was imagining theirs.

In the spring of 2025, and after a lot of discussion with Natalia regarding their desire for marriage, Derek began hatching up a plan to propose to Natalia during his “birthday party” scheduled in July. She said, “YES! I can’t believe this is happening!”

When envisioning their wedding, Derek and Natalia couldn’t imagine starting their marriage without their amazing community of people surrounding them. They also envisioned a beautiful autumn day for everyone to be outdoors together. They’re planning and praying that they can have both!

Either way, this is only the beginning of the story.