Brion and Taylor first met during their senior year of college. They were both Econ majors and got to know one another over Economic models, UNLV basketball games, and post-class drinks at Blue Martini. What initially began as group hangouts with classmates quickly became Brion and Taylor finding excuses to hang out one-on-one. After a first date filled with Moroccan food, great conversation, and a terrible Tom Cruise movie where Taylor may have fallen asleep, it was obvious that there was a connection worth exploring. Even so, neither one was looking for "anything serious" as Brion planned to go to graduate school out of state, and Taylor wanted to stay at UNLV for her graduate studies. They ultimately decided to casually see each other and planned to go their separate ways after graduation. Six years, a move to Seattle, two master's degrees, and one proposal later, the moral of this story is that life has a funny and beautiful way of not always going according to plan.

Each month Taylor and Brion plan a date for each other. They are often simple dates, like going on a long walk through a new neighborhood or catching dinner and a movie. Sometimes they introduce them to new things, like going to an open mic night or trying acro-yoga (not Brion's favorite). These dates are a fun way to explore all that Seattle has to offer while planning something special for the other person. Because they are usually not too lavish, when Brion told Taylor his December date was a weekend getaway to Victoria B.C., she was instantly suspicious. Unfortunately for Brion, her suspicion was confirmed when she saw a square, "box-like" shape in the pocket of his jeans as they got off the ferry in Victoria. She kept her suspicions to herself, and they had a great day together exploring the town. They both had a feeling that Brion would propose that night at the Butchart Gardens Holiday Lights Display since he knows how much Taylor loves the holidays. However, since it was the weekend before Christmas, the gardens were packed with people, and Brion could not find a private spot to get down on one knee. The plan, unfortunately, was a bust. Neither of them slept well that night as Brion scrambled to think of a new idea, and Taylor wasn't sure if he was still going to propose. The next morning they got up early, went for a walk through Beacon Hill Park, and came across a bluff that had beautiful views of the ocean and Olympic Mountains. They walked down to the bluff to take a picture, and both of them had the feeling that this might be the place. After a few minutes of enjoying the view, Brion got down on one knee and asked Taylor to marry him. There were tears, smiles and lots of excitement. They took the rest of the day to enjoy their new engagement before calling friends and family to announce the big news. (side note: Brion was less than thrilled when he found out Taylor knew all along.)