We’re saying “I Do!”

The couple met in December of 2018, but not in a way that you would call "traditional". Before we get into the details, one thing you must know about the couple is their love for Gonzaga Basketball. Amanda attended college there, and Dan has been a fan since the infamous Florida game in 1999. Their love of the Zags led them to both attend the Gonzaga game against UNC in Chapel Hill, North Carolina on December 15, 2018. While they had previously exchanged messages via "Gonzaga Twitter", no real conversations had been made. Amanda was attending the game with her dad, and Dan was with his friend so the two never crossed paths. While the depressing loss dampened moods, the weekend took a turn for the better. The day after the game, Amanda was on a long flight (that led to many delays) back to San Francisco, where she lived, and on that flight, decided to post a photo from the game on Twitter. This led Dan to message her with a few words (he claimed he was just bored...) which turned into many hours of learning each other’s life stories. After messaging each other for six hours straight, exchanging numbers and a good morning message, the two decided to make things exclusive after a couple short weeks. It took almost three months for the long distance couple to actually meet in person in Washington, D.C., but after meeting in person, felt like they had known each other their entire lives. From there, the two had to endure long distance for six more months. It was decided shortly after the first in person meeting, the happy couple needed to live in close proximity so Amanda took the leap and moved cross country. Over a year and half after meeting, they are happily engaged!

In early August, 2020, Dan led Amanda to believe his mom had asked both of them to visit Virginia to see them so on a whim decided to spend the long weekend in Richmond, Virginia. Shortly after their arrival, the couple and Dan’s parents headed off to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. After exploring the newest exhibit, Amanda and Dan were on their way to the exit, but Dan pivoted and insisted the two go check out one more gallery. They headed up to the Faberge eggs, and while Dan’s parents sat outside taking a rest (apparently that was not intentional), Amanda was oblivious as she was paying close attention to how beautiful the eggs were, she lost sight of Dan, and while she turned around, he was kneeling on one knee with her dream ring in his hand. Completely speechless (both of them), tears ensued and the rest is history!