Shortly after I moved to Raleigh in the summer of 2021, I decided to give Hinge a try. Daniel and I matched on Hinge, and one of his first messages to me was asking if I wanted to join him at a Porter Robinson concert downtown on October 28, 2021. I was already planning to attend that concert with some friends, so we met for the first time in person there. It was definitely a somewhat awkward experience at first—meeting someone new at a concert where you can’t really talk to each other is interesting—but we had a great time, even though it rained! The night ended with us talking more after the concert, me driving him home, and the best part: I shook his hand when he got out of my car… Our first date was not long after, on November 3, 2021, at Rosewater Kitchen in Raleigh. Looking back, I know he must have really liked me at first because he took me to a nice restaurant with very few vegetarian options (Daniel is vegetarian, for those who don’t know) and ended up spending $30 on some not so great cauliflower for his dinner. We “officially” became boyfriend and girlfriend on April 10, 2022, and have been together ever since! Since then, we have been on many trips together, moved into our first apartment, bought a house, and most importantly, become Mom and Dad to two dogs (our children), Rocket and Benny.

Planning the proposal was no easy feat. It required thoughtfulness and attention to detail—especially when provided an extensive checklist of requirements. Over the years, I’d made mental notes of what mattered most to Kat: location, time of year, outfits, having our dogs there, families involved, nails done, a photographer, an element of surprise, and of course, the ring. Sounds easy enough, right? In September 2024, we went ring shopping, where I got a crash course on the Four C’s of diamonds and, more importantly, clarity on what her perfect ring looked like. That’s when I started shaping my master plan. After several iterations and a lot of collaboration with family, I decided to gift Kat a pet photography session for her birthday. It was the perfect cover to get dressed up, involve Rocket and Benny, and have a photographer present without raising suspicion. Leading up to the big day, I worked behind the scenes with the photographer to finalize the location and the best approach for the proposal moment. On August 2, 2025, we met at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh and began our family photoshoot. The weather was beautiful, the dogs were in great spirits, and we were having a blast. As the family portion of the shoot wrapped up, I asked for a few photos of just the two of us. During one of the poses, with her back turned, I quietly got down on one knee. When she turned around, I nervously popped the question. I had rehearsed what to say dozens of times the night before, thinking it would matter—but Kat doesn’t remember a single word. She just remembers the moment. She jumped for joy and excitedly said, "Yes!" After the session, we headed home, where our families—meeting for the first time—had prepared a surprise engagement party. Being surrounded by them made the day even more meaningful. Everything went according to plan, and it truly became one of the happiest, most memorable days of my life.