College Friends Were Paired as Sorority Big and Little. Years Later, They Fell in Love and Tied the Knot 

Savannah Mansour and Taylor Tressel Mansour first met in 2017 through their sorority, Tri Sigma, at Illinois State University. Savannah, a year ahead and already deeply involved on campus, had a big, busy friend group — and Taylor slipped right into it, quickly becoming a regular presence around the house.

When it came time for the Big/Little reveal, they learned they’d been matched. Neither of them was surprised — they’d both quietly hoped for that outcome. From day one, their shared sense of humor and easy conversation made them almost inseparable, and their connection only strengthened as they spent more time together at sorority events and hanging out on their own.

Over time, though, that friendship began to feel like something more.

“Honestly, it kind of snuck up on us,” Savannah, now 27, says. “Taylor had a boyfriend when we first met, but that ended not long after she joined the sorority. I was casually dating too, mostly to make Taylor jealous. Neither of us was ready to come out, so it felt safer to keep things on the surface. But while we were busy pretending to date other people, it was clear to just about everyone — except maybe us — that we really liked each other.”

Eventually, in October 2018 — Savannah’s junior year and Taylor’s sophomore year — they decided to officially see where things could go. Their first real date was at Olive Garden. Not long after that, they became a couple.

Still, there were nerves. They shared a tight-knit friend group, many of whom were in the sorority, and they worried about how people might react. About three months into their relationship, they opened up to their closest friends, but waited to share more broadly until after Savannah graduated, leaving Taylor, now 26, as the only one still in the sorority.

They also took their time with their families. It was nearly two years before they came out to them, anxious about how the news would land. When they finally did share, they were relieved to find there were no major negative reactions. Even those who struggled at first eventually came around, and the couple felt their support system grow stronger than ever.

“Even though coming out wasn’t easy and we put it off, we realized the biggest obstacle was in our own heads,” Taylor explains. “Once we did it, we wished we hadn’t waited so long. Our families and friends ended up being our biggest champions, and we feel incredibly lucky to be surrounded by such loving and accepting people. That made everything feel a lot less scary.”

After both Savannah and Taylor graduated, their relationship continued to deepen. By 2024, they were ready for the next chapter. In January, while on a trip to Cancun, Savannah proposed to Taylor on the beach in front of Taylor’s family. A few months later, Taylor planned her own surprise proposal at their favorite spot — The Puttery in Chicago — with Savannah’s dad and best friend there to witness the moment.

A year later, on Sept. 6, they were married in Lincolnshire, Illinois.

“One of the moments we’ll never forget was standing at the ceremony and looking out to see all of our family and friends there for us,” Savannah says. “It felt like everything had come full circle. Later that night, we were on the dance floor surrounded by everyone we love, and it was just pure joy.”

Several of their bridesmaids were sorority sisters. Savannah’s “Best Man” was actually her best friend from the sorority, Danica, whose title was playfully changed to “the Best Dan.”

As the newlyweds settled into life together in Chicago, Taylor decided to share their story on TikTok, expecting it to reach only a small audience. By the next morning, the video had blown up — 1.4 million views and more than 1,200 comments.

“We were shocked,” Savannah says. “Reading through the comments was the best part. They were so kind and encouraging, and it meant a lot to see how many people connected with what we’d been through.”

“We saw so many people saying the same thing happened in their sorority,” she adds. “Even when we meet people in person, they’ll tell us similar stories. It turns out it’s way more common than you’d think.”

Right now, their focus is on their little family at home: their two dogs, Gypsy and Dixie, and their rescue cat, Larry. “We really want to give them a yard instead of just our small Chicago apartment,” Savannah says. “Gypsy is almost 8, so we’re hoping we can make that happen soon.”

Looking back on their journey, Savannah has simple advice for others in similar situations. “Lean into it and trust your gut,” she says. “Some of the best relationships are the ones you never planned on. We spent so much time worrying about what everyone else might think, and in the end, none of that really mattered. If it feels right and it makes you happy, that’s what counts.”

“We’re so proud of how far we’ve come together,” she adds. “It’s pretty amazing to look back and realize that something that started in college turned into the life we’ve built now.”