Selin and Daniel met in passing during the summer of 2017 at a mutual friend's home in Westchester, LA. It was nothing more than a brief introduction and a casual "Nice to meet you!" at the time. Little did they know, they’d be on each other’s minds until their next encounter. That second meeting came on September 4, 2017—a warm, late-summer afternoon, alive with laughter, music, and the clink of drinks at the same mutual friend's Labor Day party in Los Angeles. Selin was grabbing a drink at the backyard bar when she was greeted by a familiar face with bright blue eyes and a warm smile. "Gotta love the beverage selection," he said, and Selin couldn’t help but laugh. "You're Selin, right? We met here a few weeks ago." "Yeah, I remember! Daniel, right?" From that moment, they were inseparable the entire afternoon, chatting about mutual friends at the party, their majors, hometowns, and everything in between. When conversations were interrupted by others, they always seemed to find their way back to each other. As the party started winding down, Selin wanted to ask Daniel for his number, but she was too nervous. Funny enough, Daniel was feeling shy too. But after some encouragement from their friends, Daniel walked over to Selin and asked, "I think we're heading out soon to get our friend home, but I was wondering… can I have your number?" "Of course," she said, "Give me your phone." Their first date took place at Café Penguini in Playa Del Rey, the closest spot to campus that wasn’t flooded with college students. They enjoyed each other's company so much that a second date was planned shortly after, this time at Century City Mall. This detail would come to mean a lot to them—after learning more about each other, they discovered that their lives had been closely intertwined before they even met. Selin had grown up going to Century City Mall with her family—movies, shopping, dinner—she knew it like the back of her hand. Interestingly, Daniel and his family loved Toscanova, a delicious Italian restaurant, and would drive up from Palos Verdes to enjoy a meal there. Fast forward to today, and Selin and Daniel now live just a 5-minute drive from that same mall. This was just the beginning to their story. Their shared love for travel has taken them to Turkey, Italy, a few cities around the US and hopefully many more amazing places in the future. Daniel’s family has a beautiful home in Palm Desert, a place Selin has been fortunate enough to visit over the years. It has become a special getaway for them, where they’ve spent quality time together, learned new activities, and enjoyed the tranquility of the desert. On their first trip together, they looked up at the bright stars in the clear desert sky, dreaming about what their future would look like—when they’d get married, where they’d live, and how many kids they'd have. On May 10, 2024, Daniel brought Selin out to the backyard of that same desert home, got down on one knee, and asked her to marry him. Naturally, due to the excitement and adrenaline, a few words were lost in the moment… but the most important word was loud and clear—“YES!” Now, Selin and Daniel can't wait to say “Yes” a second time in the presence of their loved ones. A month shy of their 8-year anniversary since meeting, they’ll celebrate their love surrounded by family, friends, beautiful music, and, of course, an abundance of love. The first day to forever can't come soon enough...