We matched on Tinder at the start of the world ending in 2020, when we were both home from college—just a 40-minute drive apart—and discovered we both went to Florida State University. After playing our first game together and talking on Discord, we instantly hit it off and could easily talk for hours. Discord calls soon turned into FaceTime calls—to make sure we were actual real people… which, thankfully, we were. Back at FSU for class, we finally met up and confirmed neither of us were axe murderers. Since Clayton was graduating that summer and we didn’t want to do long distance, we tried to casually date—but unfortunately, we failed and caught feelings fast. We made it official on June 18, 2020 and spent the next two years in a long-distance relationship, trading off seven-hour drives and FaceTime dates. Along the way, we squeezed in as many adventures, travels, and fun memories as possible. In 2022, we finally closed the distance after Steph’s graduation. A year later, we moved in together and added a clingy, dramatic calico kitty named Chiky to our little family. Safe to say, that catching feelings was worth it!

On October 26, 2024, we flew to Hawaii to visit Steph’s college friends, Maya and Taylor. What Steph didn’t know (but kind of did) was that Clayton had been secretly planning a proposal with them for months—coordinating the location, timing, and even squeezing in a 30-second moment to ask her parents for permission while she was in the bathroom. Clayton knew Steph had her suspicions, so to throw her off, he gave her diamond earrings the day before the trip. It definitely confused her—was it happening in Hawaii, or during their Europe trip in a couple of months? While in Hawaii, we visited plenty of romantic spots… still no ring. As the trip neared its end, Steph figured it probably wasn’t happening. On our last full day, Maya and Taylor convinced Steph to pack a cute dinner dress to change into after our day out. Once we arrived at the beach to catch the sunset and take pictures, everyone insisted she change into the dress for “cute beach pictures.” While Steph was changing, Maya and Taylor were secretly setting up the proposal spot. With perfect timing, Clayton got the cue they were ready and led Steph over. As they walked hand in hand, Steph noticed Clayton’s nervous energy. Maya and Taylor stood in front of something, handed us leis, and then stepped aside to reveal roses in the shape of a heart in the sand. Steph started tearing up as it all hit her. Before she could fully process what was happening, Clayton pulled her into the heart and said: “Steph, From the day we met I knew you were going to be a special part of my life. I may be unserious and corny in a lot of aspects of my life, but the one thing I have always been serious about is my love for you. And I want to spend the rest of my life continuing to build a life with you. Stephanie Nicole Garza, will you marry me?” She said yes. Then they got their “cute beach pictures.”