Dan and Carys first "met" in the fall of 2017, when they matched on the dating app "Bumble." However, for all those unfamiliar with the workings of dating apps, Bumble's schtick is that (when involving a heterosexual pair) the woman has to message the man first, and within 24 hours of first being matched. Well, suffice it to say that while Carys was intrigued by this Dan Donnelly character, Carys did not message Dan within the first 24 hours, and the match was lost (she was busy, okay?). But not for too long! In December 2017, Carys and Dan matched again, this time on the dating app "Hinge." They were able to connect, and the rest is history...

The day Carys and Dan got engaged didn't get off to a great start. Despite taking the day off work and setting up her out of office message, Carys was still fielding emails (you know how it is) and dealing with the contractors who were working on the back of house through mid-morning. Moreover, Percy had decided to take an enthusiastic leap to lick Carys's face while she was preparing to take him for the morning walk, splitting her lip in the process (check the post-engagement photos for proof). After a stressful morning, they finally got on the road for their socially distant weekend away in West Virginia. Once out in the mountains and out of cellphone range, they pulled off the road for a hike to a good lookout point Carys had read about online. They were alone in the beautiful West Virginian forest, and so Carys wanted to let Percy off leash to run free. Granted, they had only had Percy for about two weeks, and he had never been off leash before, so this was a bit of a gamble. A gamble Dan was not so sure about, given the plans he had in store. His engagement plan didn't include a mad chase through the West Virginian wilderness for a dog on the loose. But Carys was insistent, and so Percy was let free. Luckily, Percy ended up being the perfect gentleman, choosing to stick by his new owners as much as possible. They eventually emerged onto a beautiful overlook, where Percy and Carys sat down to rest while Dan set up his Go-Pro camera. While in retrospect this may have been a hint of what was to come, those familiar with Dan's antics will know that this was in no way unusual behavior for him. The problem was, when it came time to propose, Carys was still sitting, and Dan couldn't figure out how to get her to stand up. He started stretching, pacing about, and bumbling on about how they "should really get going." Well, Carys eventually stood up. Dan proposed. And Carys said "yes".