We're Getting Married!

[D]: "We need to share our story for our wedding website." [K]: “You tell the story.” [D]: “No, you tell it. You always add extra details.” [K]: “Fine….., do we have to make up a story that makes people go “aww” if that’s the case then buckle up! …It was a warm summer night, I saw a figure in the distance, and had to know more, so I rode my horse towards the far away figure….. .” [D]: “Nooooooooo.” [K]: “What……you’re right the horse should have a name. A dramatic name like Steve…” The truth is…… We met on a day that neither of us expected to be anything special. I was just working my mid shift, and Dana was visiting Alamo and limping all over the place. And then— [D]: “And then we met.” [K]: “Well yeah, but we have to make it sound more dramatic.” [D]: “It wasn’t dramatic. It was just right.” That’s true. It wasn’t some big, movie-style moment with music swelling in the background. It was just… easy. We started talking, and it felt natural, like we’d known each other longer than we had. [D]: “I remember thinking, ‘Wow, this person is actually interesting to talk to.’” [K]: “Same! And I liked that you laughed at my jokes. That was a good sign.” What started as a casual conversation turned into more. Long conversations, inside jokes, little moments that made us realize that her crazy matches his crazy, we just fit. We clicked in all the right ways, and even the differences between us felt like pieces of a puzzle falling into place. [D]: “It’s funny looking back, because at the time, we had no idea that was the beginning of this.” [K]: “Yeah. Just a random day that turned into the best decision we ever made.” And now, here we are, planning forever. [D]: “That was pretty good. A little dramatic, but I’ll allow it.” [K]: “Told you I’d tell it right.”

If you know Dana, then you know that woman can spot anything suspicious or out of the ordinary from a mile away. Planning a surprise? Nearly impossible. Planning a whole proposal without her catching on? Let’s just say, the odds were not in my favor. About three months before the big day, Dana and I were having a casual conversation about Gladiator—you know, the one with Russell Crowe. I told her that it’s my dad’s favorite movie of all time. He watched it so much growing up that everyone around him could basically quote every line by heart. Dana laughed and then asked, “What if there was a second Gladiator?” We both chuckled—because how could there be a sequel to that? Out of pure curiosity, we looked it up. And to our surprise, there actually was a sequel in the works. Even more shocking? The release date was the same day as my dad’s birthday—which also happens to be my brother’s birthday. Right then, Dana had the idea: “Let’s throw them a little event at the Alamo and make a whole celebration out of it.” And that… was my moment. Because the idea came from her, I knew I’d never get a better chance to surprise her. It was the perfect setup, wrapped in her own suggestion. There was no way she’d see it coming. Fast forward to the big day: the wind was blowing softly from the east, the temperature was a crisp 71 degrees, and I was a nervous wreck. I had a custom pre-show made to distract everyone—and Dana—from what was about to happen. Just before the movie started, the screen lit up with a montage of all our favorite photos, set to our favorite song. The lights came up. Dana was shocked. Her eyes welled with tears. I got down on one knee and asked her the question that had been building in my heart for so long: “Will you marry me?” And she said yes. **Actually, I said "Are you gonna put the ring on?" And I have zero recollection of what Khaled said to me. So yeah, he caught me off guard!