matthew david coover
photo credit // matthew david coover
Gay Chicago couple prepping for wedding next January in Puerto Vallarta
Give an assist to SCRUFF, and this one is love-filled.
The story starts at Replay Beer & Bourbon, the bar in Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood, where Matthew David Coover was working one afternoon when he spotted Brian Kupersmit, who he thought was, "very handsome and attractive."
Coover admitted that he got excited when Kupersmit was going to sit in his area, but then Kupersmit simply sat at the bar.
"Later that week, while scrolling through SCRUFF, I came upon (Kupersmit's) profile and decided to reach out since I had already seen him in person," Coover said. "We chatted for a while on the app before he came (back) to Replay to say 'Hi' in-person. We exchanged (phone) numbers, set a first date and have been together ever since."
Their first-date was just going to be the two cuddling, but Kupersmit insisted a true date, first. So he took Coover to his favorite place to eat, somewhere Coover had never been. They went to, Potbelly Sandwich Shop.
Flash-forward to Christmas Eve 2016.
"It was a snow day; I was off work and we really didn't have any plans, so he went to the gym in the morning and we pretty much laid around the house all day," Coover said. "In the evening, he took me to dinner at Summer House Santa Monica, which we had been (previously) for a date, so he knew I loved it.
"After dinner, we came home to open one present each, but, on the way home, I told him I had to finish wrapping his and it would just take a minute."
In reality, it took 30 minutes, "which made him even more anxious, which I was oblivious to since I didn't know what was about to happen," Coover said. "We sat down in front of the fireplace, I gave him my gift first, which was a little coupon book that I had created with personal messages. Then it was his turn to give me his gift. I started to unwrap it, and unwrap it again and again and again. He had put boxes inside boxes inside boxes, which he had told me weeks before that he would never do. I came to the last box, which was an iPhone box. I opened the box and immediately started balling because inside the iPhone box was the ring box. I could not believe that this was happening; I was super excited and nervous all at the same time."
Coover said, YES!
Their wedding is January 19, 2019, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Coover, 28, is a bartender/server for Replay Beer and Bourbon in Andersonville, where he has worked since April, 2016.
At The Bar With ...Matthew David Coover
Originally From: Pocono, Pa.
Chicago: Moved here in October, 2015.
Bartending ..."is not for everyone; you have to have the personality to get along with almost any type of person that walks through the doors. Having been in customer service my entire life, bartending came naturally for me."
Drink You Order When Going Out: Captain Morgan and Diet Coke.
Favorite Chicago Restaurant: Capital Grille – "Brian's parents got us a gift certificate for our engagement, so that was the first time I had been there. I loved it and definitely will be going back."
Favorite TV show: Survivor
Favorite Musicians: Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson
Favorite Concert You've Attended: Carrie Underwood, which also is the only concert he's attended.
Dream Vacation Destination: Greece or Australia
Ingredients On Pizza: "Anything but mushrooms or anchovies."
(Complete this sentence): Even my close friends will be surprised to learn ... "that I grew up making hand-carved candles and my parents are still making a living from it today."
On Sports: "I don't follow professional or college sports teams like Brian does, but I do enjoy attending them. Brian has taken me to my first Cubs game, my first NFL game, and I have also attended an NCAA Volleyball Championship."
More Sports: "Volleyball is my favorite sport, from watching matches to playing. When I lived in Columbus, I went to Ohio State University matches, and now I go to Loyola matches here in Chicago."
The story starts at Replay Beer & Bourbon, the bar in Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood, where Matthew David Coover was working one afternoon when he spotted Brian Kupersmit, who he thought was, "very handsome and attractive."
Coover admitted that he got excited when Kupersmit was going to sit in his area, but then Kupersmit simply sat at the bar.
"Later that week, while scrolling through SCRUFF, I came upon (Kupersmit's) profile and decided to reach out since I had already seen him in person," Coover said. "We chatted for a while on the app before he came (back) to Replay to say 'Hi' in-person. We exchanged (phone) numbers, set a first date and have been together ever since."
Their first-date was just going to be the two cuddling, but Kupersmit insisted a true date, first. So he took Coover to his favorite place to eat, somewhere Coover had never been. They went to, Potbelly Sandwich Shop.
Flash-forward to Christmas Eve 2016.
"It was a snow day; I was off work and we really didn't have any plans, so he went to the gym in the morning and we pretty much laid around the house all day," Coover said. "In the evening, he took me to dinner at Summer House Santa Monica, which we had been (previously) for a date, so he knew I loved it.
"After dinner, we came home to open one present each, but, on the way home, I told him I had to finish wrapping his and it would just take a minute."
In reality, it took 30 minutes, "which made him even more anxious, which I was oblivious to since I didn't know what was about to happen," Coover said. "We sat down in front of the fireplace, I gave him my gift first, which was a little coupon book that I had created with personal messages. Then it was his turn to give me his gift. I started to unwrap it, and unwrap it again and again and again. He had put boxes inside boxes inside boxes, which he had told me weeks before that he would never do. I came to the last box, which was an iPhone box. I opened the box and immediately started balling because inside the iPhone box was the ring box. I could not believe that this was happening; I was super excited and nervous all at the same time."
Coover said, YES!
Their wedding is January 19, 2019, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Coover, 28, is a bartender/server for Replay Beer and Bourbon in Andersonville, where he has worked since April, 2016.
At The Bar With ...Matthew David Coover
Originally From: Pocono, Pa.
Chicago: Moved here in October, 2015.
Bartending ..."is not for everyone; you have to have the personality to get along with almost any type of person that walks through the doors. Having been in customer service my entire life, bartending came naturally for me."
Drink You Order When Going Out: Captain Morgan and Diet Coke.
Favorite Chicago Restaurant: Capital Grille – "Brian's parents got us a gift certificate for our engagement, so that was the first time I had been there. I loved it and definitely will be going back."
Favorite TV show: Survivor
Favorite Musicians: Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson
Favorite Concert You've Attended: Carrie Underwood, which also is the only concert he's attended.
Dream Vacation Destination: Greece or Australia
Ingredients On Pizza: "Anything but mushrooms or anchovies."
(Complete this sentence): Even my close friends will be surprised to learn ... "that I grew up making hand-carved candles and my parents are still making a living from it today."
On Sports: "I don't follow professional or college sports teams like Brian does, but I do enjoy attending them. Brian has taken me to my first Cubs game, my first NFL game, and I have also attended an NCAA Volleyball Championship."
More Sports: "Volleyball is my favorite sport, from watching matches to playing. When I lived in Columbus, I went to Ohio State University matches, and now I go to Loyola matches here in Chicago."
