In downtown St. Petersburg in June of 2017, Phillip was walking his dog Stryder, exploring the area that he had just moved to for work. Meanwhile, Shannon was taking a break from apartment shopping and enjoying dinner on Central Avenue with a friend. They spotted Stryder, the awkward aged adorable German Shepherd puppy, and knew they just had to pet him! As soon as Phillip got close enough, they asked if they could pet his dog. After a few minutes of small talk, they discovered that Phillip had just moved there, and Shannon would be moving there very soon for school, what a coincidence! So, they exchanged numbers that night, and the rest is history!

While cruising the Caribbean, all dressed up for the formal Captains dinner aboard the ship, Phillip and Shannon were having a romantic moment on the upper deck. It was so peaceful. There was no one around and all they could hear were the sounds of waves crashing against the ship, and all they could see were the stars in the sky. Phillip knew this was the moment, so he made an excuse to run down to their stateroom to grab the ring (the box was too big to hide in his pocket). As Shannon was leaning against the railings of the ship watching the stars and waiting for him to return, Phillip snuck up behind her. "Shannon Lynn Grace" he said, as Shannon spun around to see the love of her life on one knee, asking her to be his forever.