7PM-10PM Thursday, January 30th 2025 Lake Forest Clubhouse 14735 Lake Forest Dr, Lutz, FL 33559

Everyone who knew me in 2022 knows how hard that year was for me. Losing my father broke my heart, and seeing the love between my mom and my dad, especially during that time, made me realize that I want nothing less than my soulmate. One night during a trip to visit my best friend Haley in St. Louis, I had trouble sleeping. I decided to download my old dating app, but after a few swipes and less than 5 minutes, I realized I probably wasn't ready to date anyone, "froze" my profile, and went to sleep. (For all those not up to date on dating app lingo -- freezing my profile means it wouldn't show up on anyone's feed... that is, unless I'd already liked them...) I woke up to a notification from the dating up I'd frozen... "Dalton matched with you!" Not knowing how that was even possible with the app frozen, I opened it up to look at the profile of the man who would turn out to be the most important person in the world to me. In that five brief minutes of scrolling, the one profile I decided to "heart" was Dalton's. I responded to a prompt he had on his profile about love languages. We immediately clicked. After some texting, I shared that I'd recently lost my father and wasn't sure if I was ready to date. He shared that he was about to move out of state, but saw my profile and thought I was “too beautiful for him to not know." (He picked up quickly that my love language is words of affirmation...) We decided that despite how improbable us dating was, we still wanted to see each other once. He asked to take me on a date as soon as I got back from St. Louis. We met at the beach for a sunset picnic in Gulfport. We talked and laughed more than I ever have on any date. At one point, he looked at me and said "I kind of want to tell you I love you." I told him nope, he wasn't allowed to fall in love with me because he was moving the next week. When our date was coming to an end, my cheeks hurt from smiling so much. As he walked me to my car, I told him I wished he was a jerk so it'd be easier to say goodbye. I asked if we'd ever talk to each other again, and he said he didn't know and hugged me. He kissed me goodbye, and I felt like I was floating. I was quickly brought back to earth by Dalton abruptly saying, "Now get the F*** out of here!" Taken aback, I look at him. He laughs, "Remember, you told me it'd be easier if I was a jerk to you!" I drove away that night wondering if I'd ever have another first date as magical as that one... wondering if I'd meet anyone who made me feel as happy as Dalton did. Turns out, I wouldn't. Having not spoken since our date, I was surprised when I got a text from him a month later saying he was back and wanted to see me again. Some would say it was a chance, or even fate, that brought Dalton back to Florida. But I know it was my dad. Dad - thank you for bringing the man of my dreams into my life when I'd forgotten what happiness felt like. Dalton is my soulmate, and the two of you would've been best friends.

I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Megan the moment I realized that every day with her felt like an adventure. I had been thinking about proposing for a while, but I wanted it to be perfect. So when we received a gift card for a spa day at the Safety Harbor Spa from Megan’s mom, I knew that was the sign I’d been waiting for. It felt like the perfect day to pop the question. Months went by, and we finally managed to schedule our much-anticipated spa day for Cinco de Mayo. The day itself was everything I’d hoped for—relaxing massages, pedicures, saunas, and time spent soaking in the pools together. It was the perfect way to unwind. But what Megan didn’t know was that the real surprise was yet to come. I had told her I’d planned a nice dinner in Safety Harbor, but secretly, I had something even more special in mind. We finished our spa day, got ready, and drove up to the marina. When we arrived, I told her we’d be taking a boat out for a private little evening, and of course, her first question was, “Who’s driving the boat?” That’s when I dropped the bomb—I had secretly gotten my boating license just for this moment, and it was going to be just the two of us out there, on the water. As we set out into the calm bay, the wind was perfect, the waves were gentle, and I was... freaking out. Did I mention this was my first time ever driving a boat? Despite this, I managed to navigate us out of the marina safely without crashing or revealing my bigger plan to Megan. After awhile, I dropped anchor and suggested we take some photos with the tripod I brought along. I set up the camera, and we started taking photos, but inside, I was nervously waiting for the right moment. Megan, being the adorable one she is, kept asking me to “look at the camera,” even as I stood there looking at her and trying to find the courage to ask the biggest question of my life. Finally, I decided it was time. I gave her a kiss, and asked her, just to be sure, “Do you love me?” She smiled and said, “Yes!” Then, I asked, “And you want to be with me forever, right?” Megan laughed with a sweet, confident “Of course, honey!" It was go time. I pulled the ring out from my bag, got down on one knee, and asked her, “Will you marry me?” And, well, you all know how she answered. We spent the rest of the evening enjoying the sunset and the beautiful water, but honestly, I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. I’m so excited to spend the rest of my life with the woman who makes every day brighter. I can’t wait to see where our adventures take us.