THE PAESANOS

A magical engagement on the Emerald Coast in Destin, Florida. Danny's parents went through a traveling fiasco to be there for the surprise. Originally scheduled to arrive safely a day before the proposal. After arriving in DC they found their connecting flight to be canceled. The next day, their rescheduled flight was also canceled. At that point, the proposal was scheduled to take place in 5 hours and there was no way they could arrive on time. They collectively found a last-minute flight to Pensacola, which was 1.5 hours from Destin. Danny and Dennis were able to hide this nightmare from Brianna and push the proposal a few hours. Friends and family scrambled to Home Depot getting supplies for a lighted night proposal (as opposed to a sunset proposal). Fred flew down the Interstate at 100mph, making it with 5 minutes to spare! All this happening, and we still managed to keep it from Brianna! We were at the annual Butler family trip. Bri, Kayla & Dennis walked down to the beach bar. Approaching the water Bri could see tiki torches & said "Look! There's something going on down there". Dennis was walking in front of Bri; he turned around and she could see the tears. Then she realized "wow, this is for me". As Bri walked through the torches, she could see family & friends that flew down to surprise her. The signs had Bri sobbing (see video attached to read the signs & witness the beauty). Danny went above and beyond to make this the most magical day of our lives & Bri still cries at the thought of it. So overwhelming with love & joy.

The end of 2021 was whirlwind for us & our families. As our world was turned upside down with Danny’s moms diagnosis, we were quickly reminded of the importance of family, life, and appreciating the small moments. It shifted our perspective on what was most significant to us on our wedding day, instead of getting wrapped up in the perfect menu, dress, band, or flashy venue. We planned a small ceremony in weeks time and were able to have most of our closest family attend, most importantly Danny’s mom. It wasn't what we pictured, but it certainly turned out perfect. Kim received a stem cell transplant the first week of January, which was her only chance to cure Leukemia. This procedure carries a risk of serious complications and it was very important to us that she was there for our special day. Sometimes we lose sight of what’s really important to us. We get wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life and overlook what matters most & relationships that give us true love and happiness. It shouldn’t take a tragedy to remind us of what’s really important in life, but sometimes it's easy to forget. @lindsaylazare put it best after taking photos at our wedding - “Love hard. Savor the small moments. Don’t be stingy with your emotions. If you love someone, tell them. Nothing is guaranteed. Stop worrying about what is next so you can enjoy what is now. When life is tough, love will keep you afloat, hugging you like a life jacket when everything around you seems to be sinking. Time is a gift and it is up to us to spend it wisely.” Thanks to Kims strength & resilience along with the amazing medical team at Memorial Sloan Kettering , she is recovering very well & the future looks bright. We couldn't be more grateful for the support we received and we are so glad things are in perspective for us. If you are interested in helping in anyway, we ask you please join Be the Match to potentially be a stem cell donor and save a life. We CANNOT WAIT to celebrate with ALL our loved ones in Jekyll Island!