We're getting married!

Years before dating, Trent and Kayla each secretly called "dibs" on each other after first meeting in the Newell dorm at Towson University. In that moment, the timing wasn't quite right. Over the next couple years they stayed friends - and only friends - until the moment was finally right. While at a friend's house, they realized they'd both be on the same cruise ship in a few days! They told each other that if they ran into each other, maybe they'd grab a drink. And wouldn't you know, on that ship with over 2,000 passengers, Trent and Kayla ran into each other every... single... day. Finally, they got the hint. The fact that Kayla was one week shy of turning 21 and Trent had a drink package definitely helped too. Without even trying, they ended up hanging out almost the entire trip. And once they got back back, they realized things didn't feel right when they weren't together. That's when they knew.

To celebrate 5 years together, they headed to Richmond, VA. (I'm just gonna throw this out there - we had taken like three other big trips this year without any proposal so no nails were painted on this trip. Anyway...) On the day of their anniversary, Trent and Kayla woke up to a misty, gray sky. The plan initially was to head to out and walk through some botanical gardens. After looking at the wet city out the window, other ideas were thrown out there. However, Trent was adamant to continue with the plan for Maymont Manor. Kayla, oblivious as can be and a big fan of being surrounded by plants, went along with it without a second thought. While walking through the beautifully landscaped Maymont Japanese Garden, they walked by not one... but TWO other couples getting engaged. Kayla very obnoxiously nudged Trent saying "oh isn't that nice" each time. Surprisingly, he still wanted to do it. They found a gazebo overlooking a koi pond to escape the rain. The moment was absolutely perfect. Kayla cried approximately ten times within a very short time frame. The celebration continued with brewery hopping, ending the day eating some of the most amazing steak, and finally winding up at a nearby speakeasy. Fitting for the date of the proposal, everything was a 10/10 (though technically one could argue it was really an 11 out of 10 kinda day).