They met shortly after having both moved to the Baltimore area. His move was to come on way too strong and she found this endearing. They bonded over their love of dogs and outdoor adventures. Shortly after the relationship began, they got a furry friend named Merle to go on hiking adventures with them. Don eventually lured her up to live in Baltimore and they have loved living as a family of three ever since.

They went on a trip to Germany with friends in October 2018. Under the guise of taking magical pictures of the Neuschwanstein Castle, Don enlisted the help of their friends Amanda and Chris to find a scenic overlook, without a crowd of people, to capture the moment. After finding the perfect spot, Don surprised Stacey by getting down on one knee and asking her to be his forever. She, of course, said yes.