It all started on April 17, 2021. Danny was on a party bus with about 15 friends, headed to Anaheim for an Angels vs. Twins game. About two hours before the first pitch, an announcement was made that the game was canceled due to a COVID outbreak on the Twins' roster. As a result, the bus was rerouted to the bars at the Newport Beach Peninsula. Meanwhile, Jenna and her best friend Courtney (MOH) headed to The Bungalow in Long Beach, looking to switch up their usual Newport routine. However, after finding the bar at full capacity, they decided to head back to one of their Newport favorites, Helmsman, which, coincidentally, is exactly where Danny and his group ended up. Jenna, wearing a black-and-white vertical striped dress, caught Danny’s eye from across the room. After they locked eyes for the first time, Danny gave her a grin and a cheeky “come over here” gesture. Jenna obliged, and despite a brief and slightly awkward first interaction, they found themselves gravitating toward each other throughout the night. That connection led to a coffee date the very next day. From that point forward, they were inseparable, both fully realizing they had found their other half. This was solidified a month later when Danny organized a scavenger hunt that led to a Newport rooftop, complete with flowers, wine, and a poster asking Jenna to be his girlfriend. By early 2022, they had moved to Oceanside, CA, where they have lived ever since. Four years after that first meeting, while traveling through Europe, Danny proposed on a private boat tour through the romantic canals of Amsterdam.

It was a beautiful SoCal Saturday evening. I was on a party bus headed to Angel Stadium to watch the Angels take on the Minnesota Twins. About two hours before the first pitch, an announcement came through: Twins player Kyle Garlick had tested positive for COVID, and the game was canceled. Since there were about 15 of us already enjoying a few adult beverages, we decided to reroute the bus to the Newport Beach Peninsula. It ended up being one of the best pivots of my life. After hopping around a few spots, we ended up at a bar called Helmsman. I was standing in the center of the room when I saw a girl walking toward the bathroom. She was tall, gorgeous, and wearing a black-and-white striped dress that made her stand out from across the room. She happened to catch my eye right before she reached the hallway, so I gave her a smile and a little “come over here” gesture. A few minutes later, she walked out with a big smile and came right up to me. Before I could even say hello, she asked, “Oh hey, don’t I know you from somewhere?” Completely caught off guard, my brain went blank. I managed a clumsy, “No, I don’t think so... but maybe?” It definitely wasn't my swaggiest moment, and the conversation didn't exactly go smoothly from there. She left shortly after, but little did I know, I had just met my future wife. We crossed paths a few more times that night, which eventually led to a coffee date the next morning. It didn't take too long to realize something about this girl was different. About a month after our coffee date, I officially asked her to be my girlfriend on the third deck of a Newport Beach home overlooking the Pacific, using colored sheets of paper to spell out “Will you be my GF?” Four years later, we were in Amsterdam. While Jenna was napping, I organized a private boat tour through the romantic canals. I had the captain pull over at a small bridge for "pictures," and about 30 seconds in, I dropped to one knee. The rest is history!

Helmsman was always a staple in my Newport Beach rotation, but on this particular night, Courtney (MOH) and I decided to switch things up. We headed to Long Beach for dinner and drinks, only to find our destination was already at capacity. I was ready to call it a night, but Courtney insisted we keep going, so we headed back to our usual stomping grounds at Helmsman. Across the room, a tall, handsome guy caught my eye. Our eyes locked, and he gestured for me to come over. Being my usual silly self, I decided to try to throw him off his game. I walked up and said, “Oh, don’t I know you from somewhere? Nice to see you!” before giving him a quick hug. He was completely stumped, and the initial interaction was a little awkward. The conversation ended quickly, but shortly after, we found ourselves together again, and this time, we never left each other's side. We spent the rest of the night laughing and talking until the lights came up. Danny left for a golf trip that weekend, and even though he was only gone for a week, it felt like a century. We went on our first official date the moment he got back. We headed to the beach, where his best friends, Ariston and Bri, were actually "spying" on us from afar! They eventually "spontaneously" joined us at Sharkeez in Huntington Beach, where they captured our first photo together. Later that night, we went bowling, where I beat him 148-122. I haven’t beaten him since, but I’ll always have that first win. Within a week of that date, Danny told me he loved me, and a week after that, he asked me to be his girlfriend. We fell hard quickly and after 7 months moved to Oceanside. Since then, we have shared so many amazing memories traveling to Thailand, Italy, Paris, Amsterdam, Greece, and most recently, Tokyo! The highlight of our travels was a 2025 trip to Europe where we flew standby, not knowing we’d land in Amsterdam until the morning of our flight. Because of the last-minute destination, I had completely ruled out a proposal, but Danny surprised me during a private boat tour by popping the question on a bridge over the canals. When we aren't traveling, we spend a lot of our time on the golf course. Well, Danny plays and I caddy for him in some of his pro tournaments (something I never thought I’d do!). Otherwise, we love our routine at home-cooking dinners, playing games like cribbage and backgammon, and having long walks on the beach. We’ve loved every second of the last five years together and can’t wait to celebrate with you all!