In July of 2024, before they ever met, both Nathaniel and Hanna had made the same important decision: they were not going to date. Nathaniel had just told his parents he was taking a year off from dating to focus on himself and work—after deciding that all women were, frankly, disappointing (…so far). Around that same time, Hanna had a similar talk with her parents, deciding to put relationships on hold and focus on her career and her future, as she was a year away from completing her service in the Marine Corps. On July 19, Hanna went out with friends to a going-away party. That night, she noticed a handsome man walk into the nearly empty bar with his friends. Determined to stick to her “no dating” rule—and firmly believing that her future husband would never be found in a bar—she decided to avoid him at all costs. Little did she know, that same handsome man, Nathaniel, had also vowed not to date for a year and had a strict rule of his own: never date a fellow Marine. For the next three hours, they successfully avoided each other, chatting with everyone else instead. But eventually, thanks to a mutual friend (shoutout to Brian!), they were introduced. Within minutes, they realized the other was neither “crazy” nor “so very disappointing,” and both of their carefully laid plans to stay single went out the window. A few weeks later, Nathaniel invited Hanna sailing and planned a beach picnic. About fifteen minutes into the trip, the two found themselves standing on some rocks, looking down at what used to be Nathaniel’s non- hole-filled sailboat. Despite the shipwreck, their laughter-filled picnic and walk of shame back to the car turned the date into one of their favorite memories. Fast forward to April 2025: Nathaniel and Hanna planned a backpacking trip through the mountains of North Georgia. After a shopping spree at REI and some research to find dog-friendly trails for their precious pup, Xena, they were ready to go. But the day before the trip, the forecast called for heavy rain and storms. Undeterred, Nathaniel booked a cozy cabin with a mountain view, packed pizza-making kits, and turned the weekend into a luxury “glamping” getaway for Hanna and Xena. On April 12, 2025, what started as another ruined plan turned into one of the best days of their lives—the day Nathaniel proposed. Both self-proclaimed type-A planners, Nathaniel and Hanna have learned time and again that God’s plans are always better than their own—leading to moments, memories, and dreams they never could have imagined.