When Sarah and Dakota met on Hinge, neither of them expected just how much their lives were about to change. Sarah was convinced her future was taking her to New Orleans and wasn’t looking for anything too serious. After life had already taken both of them down unexpected paths, neither was looking to force anything, but Dakota pretty much knew from the start that this was something special. Instead of rushing, he gave their relationship the space to grow naturally, and somewhere along the way they realized they had found something rare: a love that felt easy, joyful, and completely like home. From the beginning, they bonded over the things they loved most: movie nights, wandering convention halls at CONvergence, sharing favorite characters and fandoms, and finding joy in all the little adventures that made them feel like friends as much as partners. Early in their relationship, Dakota asked Sarah if she would ever get married again. Sarah answered honestly: “Only if I’m asked at Disney World.” Dakota filed that information away immediately, and what seemed like a playful comment became a promise. About six months into dating, he planned to tell Sarah he loved her during their first trip together to Disneyland. But Sarah accidentally beat him to it first. While on a trip to Louisville with her friend and bridesmaid Camila, she admitted after a few drinks that she’d been telling strangers at a bar that they were already in love — even though neither of them had technically said it yet — and that she knew he was waiting to say it in California during the firework show at Disney. The next day, Dakota called her while she was sitting in a smoky bar with a Tom Petty cover band playing in the background, and somehow that moment became even more perfect than the one he had originally planned. That November, the world’s cutest beagle puppy, Maxxxine, arrived at what was then Sarah’s house. Dakota immediately embraced life as a dog dad, and before long, the two were blending their lives together completely. By March, Dakota had moved in with Sarah, bringing his three cats and his daughter Marin part-time, turning their home into a beautifully chaotic mix of pets, movie marathons, and learning what family looked like together. One of the most meaningful parts of their relationship has been navigating life not just as partners, but as a family. Sarah stepped into the unfamiliar and rewarding role of becoming a future stepmom to Marin, learning together that love, trust, and connection aren’t built all at once — they’re built in small moments, shared routines, inside jokes, and showing up for each other every day. Watching their relationship grow has been one of the greatest joys of their lives. In September 2025, the three of them traveled to Walt Disney World together. On the very first day, standing in front of the castle, Dakota asked a photographer to take family portraits of all three of them. Then he asked Marin if it would be okay if he and Sarah took a few photos alone. That’s when he got down on one knee and proposed. In true Sarah fashion, her first response was, “I don’t know what to do with my hands,” followed shortly after by an enthusiastic yes. The rest of the trip was magical in every sense of the word. In March 2026, we bought our first home together and have been happily nesting ever since — building a life full of friends, pets, movie dates, concerts, nights laughing about the silliest of things and the kind of love that somehow feels both exciting and comforting all at once.