We first met as random roommates in Alexandria, Virginia back in summer of 2013 when Dan was working for Capitol Police. Holly was looking for a place to live and found Dan's listing for a roommate on Craiglist. After a few email conversations back and forth regarding future roommate arrangements, Holly was interested in the place and they set up a time to tour the house. These very same emails were saved and later included in his "walk down memory lane" proposal. Dan was chewing on a frozen twizzler (??) when he greeted Holly at the door... "Frozen twizzlers are the best.. do you want one?" Despite this really odd first impression, Holly thought it spoke volumes to his super chill, funny, and easy-to-get-along-with personality and it soon became known as the gesture that started it all. Holly moved in with Dan and his roommate, Steve, in June of 2013. Over the course of a year, and a few failed relationships of their own, Holly and Dan began to hang out as friends, drinking buddies, and offered advice on dating members of the opposite sex. It didn't take long for that friendship to blossom into something more. With the help of a pretty poetic torrential downpour during a *very happy* rooftop happy-hour, Dan and Holly shared their first kiss in May of 2014. After a few months of casual dating, Dan was presented with the opportunity to take a job with his hometown Police Department back in New Jersey. Holly made peace with the fact that the "summer fling" was coming to an end and was prepared to say goodbye to Dan as he left for Jersey. That was until Dan made clear his intentions for a more serious relationship by giving Holly the opportunity to ask him to stay. Not wanting him to regret anything, she encouraged him to take the job. It was then that they embarked upon 6 months of a long distance relationship. Holly moved to New Jersey in December of 2014. The rest was history.

About 2 weeks prior to the surprise proposal, Dan suggested Holly get her family together in Maryland to celebrate her Dad's birthday. Although it was super last minute for some, they were super impressed on how just how easy it was to get everyone together in such short notice. : Dan had already purchased the ring at this point and was just waiting for the right moment to happen. He saw this family visit as the perfect opportunity and immediately started plotting. : Fast forward to Saturday, August 12th, 2017. Holly's dad had requested that he steal the boys (his son-in-laws) for the morning to help with some work he needed to do at the house. This was great because it gave Holly and her sisters some time to catch up over a girl's brunch, and do some last minute birthday shopping for their dad. Turns out this was a well devised plan made in advance of this weekend. The boys and Holly's parents were actually helping Dan set up the house for the proposal. : After brunch and shopping, the girls headed to their parent's house to meet up with the boys. Upon opening the front door, Dan greeted Holly in a house full of people, all with cameras in hand and a dimly lit entry way. There were strings of photos and the printed email conversations dating back to summer of 2013 when it all started. Several scattered rose petals and lit candles created a pathway to a back room. Dan walked her down "memory lane" as they made their way to the back, where he had champagne and roses set up on the table. : There in front of her family and his, Dan got down on one knee and asked Holly to marry him. Through the ugliest tears imaginable, Holly said YES to the best and easiest question he has ever asked her.