In July 2019, Shawn and Kayla matched on a dating app. At the time, dating apps had been around for a while and was the only way to meet people. The risk was in meeting the person face-to-face and hoping you were chatting with someone who was authentic. On the 24th of July, Kayla and Shawn met up at Brooklyn Pizza for their very first date. Sparks flew immediately - neither of them wanted the night to end. Fast forward a few months to December, Shawn had already known he wanted to marry Kayla. His Christmas gift to her was a beautiful, gold tipped, glass rose and a proposal. They both agreed it would be too early to get married, but they knew they wanted to be with each other for the rest of their lives. July 24, 2020, was a special day. Shawn took Kayla to one of their favorite pasta joints to celebrate their first anniversary. After heaps of delicious pasta and bread, Shawn pulled out a gorgeous, square cut ring and got down on one knee. Kayla said yes and thus began their official engagement. Originally, Shawn and Kayla had planned to get married in 2022. Their plans were halted as soon as Shawn was scheduled to deploy. He was intended to be gone for about a year, so the wedding was postponed until his return. After 5 years, Shawn and Kayla had finally set the date - October 6, 2024.