Dan and Sarah met in Jackson, MS via the popular dating app Tinder. Their first date was on Valentine’s Day 2019 at a classic Jackson restaurant, Lou’s, and Sarah knew this would be a special relationship when Dan began to cry over how delicious his steak tasted. The relationship progressed quickly and excitingly, with the pair taking frequent weekend trips to various cities in the country, making the most of the time they had together, and quickly falling in love. Sarah moved to Boone, North Carolina to pursue a certification and masters in music therapy in August of 2019, and Dan and Sarah began to navigate the complexities of a long distance relationship. Dan encouraged playing multiplayer video games in order to stay connected and have fun across time zones, and the two still enjoy this activity together. In March of 2020, the week before the first pandemic shutdown began, Dan moved to Charlotte, NC and began to make his new apartment a home. Shortly after this move, Sarah invited Dan to stay with her and her cat, Hopper in Boone during the lockdown. Every weekend consisted of a new hike in the Appalachian wilderness, and these hours surrounded by trees, mountains, rivers, and only each other’s thoughts solidified the couple’s relationship immensely. Sarah and Dan are always excited for the next hike they find. Sarah began her second year of graduate school in August of 2020, and Dan returned to Charlotte to continue working. Dan travelled to Boone from Charlotte nearly every weekend from August 2020 to May 2021, with a new hike planned and an urgent desire to pet and cuddle Hopper. In May 2021, systematic complications caused by COVID forced Sarah to take a short break on her education, and she moved in with Dan in Charlotte.

Dan carried the ring for two weeks, just in case a moment occurred that would be perfect for a proposal. Dan is nothing if not prepared. Dan and Sarah planned a weekend trip to Asheville, NC to see one of their favorite artists, Marc Rebillet, and to see the fall foliage of the Appalachian mountains. Dan found a hike that was less crowded than many trails in Asheville. Most of the hike up to the peak was cold, wet, and very foggy. Dan fell in the mud about halfway up and almost reconsidered his plan to propose. But something really wonderful happened. Only a half mile from the peak, all the fog left the mountain, and the sun began to shine through the trees. The air began to warm, and the couple finally were able to see the mountain range on which they hiked. Dan and Sarah raced to the peak, Sarah eager to see the view of the valley, and Dan ready to get on one knee. At the small but beautiful peak, in the presence of two unknowing small families, Dan set up a camera and tripod with the view of the valley below them and the turning leaves of the trees. He began to record- telling Sarah they would pose and pull photo stills from the video- and asked one of the most important questions he’ll ever ask. (She said yes.) Sarah and Dan will celebrate their wedding with their immediate families and small wedding party during Labor Day weekend of 2022. They plan to livestream their ceremony in the early evening of Sunday, September 4, 2022. The link to the livestream will be posted via social media - so follow Sarah Brantley on Facebook if you do not already!