12.12.25

Maddie & Dalton first met in 2016 in a way that so many often meet- 30 feet under the sea removing trash from and planting corals onto the reef! Dalton was leading a Rescue a Reef coral restoration dive in collab w/ Debris Free Oceans, who was hosting a reef cleanup. He had just finished grad school and was working for the Univ. of Miami’s coral restoration lab. Maddie was volunteering, a recent graduate trying to figure next steps. She absolutely fell in love with the activities of the day- hence the going onto pursue a masters degree & teach a class about restoration, and direct DFO- little did she know she'd also absolutely fall in love with Dalton 3 years later! But on this dive day she just thought he was this smart, super nice guy in nerdy field glasses. As they began to work together they became fast friends! They spent their days restoring reefs, their evenings grabbing beers at the Wetlab, and their weekends going to football games, concerts, and beer olympics. TBH, Maddie thought Dalton was a bit of a square, but was thrilled to learn that was not the case! She will never forget when her friend asked her if she liked him like ~that~. Her first instinct was no way, that’s my bestie! But she soon realized that she was obsessed with him like ~that~ 😍! Let it be known that Maddie decided to shoot her shot and made the first move! After a night on the town while waiting for a Lyft, she laid one on him. Dalton was both surprised and hesitant at first, concerned over jeopardizing their friendship and the complications of being coworkers. But it didn’t take long for him to realize he liked her like ~that~ too. Well, if you ask Maddie it was a whiiile when in reality they were dating a few short weeks later. Dalton saw that all the qualities that made her so special to him as a friend were actually the foundation of a lifelong partner. Dalton first came to Maryland in May 2019- he met the hometown friends & fam, and they went to an O’s game, the reservoir, and of course, the race track. Then Maddie first visited Minnesota in August 2019, also meeting the friends & fam, going to a county fair, and checking out the ole Mighty Mississippi! The first true test of their love came in 2020- a global pandemic! They passed that test with flying colors, making the most of lockdown enjoying an above ground pool, building a backyard bar, and wearing Santa outfits to the beach. Around this time they were also each others’ support systems as they completed their master’s degrees while continuing to work. In 2021, Maddie & Dalton finally moved in together, finding a cute home in Coconut Grove! They often walked to Flanigan's or Berries for some brews, and once stumbled into a woman walking two foster pups. One of these pups stole their heart, and despite intense workloads and 2 upcoming international weddings, they knew she needed to be theirs! Well, Maddie knew and did a darn good job convincing Dalton too. That foster pup became their furchild Buoy and their family became 3! Maddie & Dalton have been so fortunate to wander the world together, from Dubai to Italy to the Grand Canyon, to road trips between Miami & Baltimore. They’ve explored the Florida Everglades, Keys, springs, and coral reefs. These experiences have deepened their love for each other and profoundly shaped their admiration, respect, and desire to enjoy and protect the planet and its people, to the fullest. But they wouldn’t trade the small moments for anything- meals around the table with friends and family over the holidays, belly laughs over cheap beer at the bar, running around with pup packs on a beautiful day, the ridiculous bets/”What are the Odds” games that result in ridiculous behavior. And these moments would be nothing without all of you, Maddie&Dalton would be nothing without all of you! They are beyond grateful to have each and every one of you in their lives and can’t wait to celebrate their love surrounded by the most legendary group of people.