William and Sharna’s story began the modern way—on Hinge. After a few days of chatting and getting to know each other, William asked Sharna out to a sushi restaurant for their first date—he remembered she had mentioned that she liked sushi. William normally doesn’t care for sushi and would never choose it on his own, but he happily made the exception. Over dinner, they found themselves laughing easily and talking about everything, and it quickly became clear they had a natural connection. At one point, Sharna playfully hinted that she wanted to meet William’s dogs. Picking up on the cue, William invited her back to his place to meet them. But since it was their first time meeting in person and already late, Sharna didn’t feel comfortable going to a stranger’s home. She also had plans to go clubbing with her sister afterward. Later that evening, Sharna let William know her plans had been canceled—and that she hadn’t gone out after all. William had already been hoping to see her again soon, so he invited her to meet up at Duboce Park the very next day—he figured a dog park was the perfect excuse to see her again so soon—totally ignoring Barney Stinson’s infamous 'wait three days to call' rule from *How I Met Your Mother*. They strolled through the park, chatted more, and then grabbed brunch nearby. William didn’t want the date to end, but Sharna was starting to get cold—darn San Francisco and its chilly climate! From there, everything moved fast in the best way. Their third date happened just days later—on a weekday, no less. Sharna usually had a strict no-weekday-dates rule because she wakes up early and commutes over an hour each way for work. From that point on, they started spending more and more time together, having fun, sharing laughs, and growing closer with each new day. What started as a swipe turned into something real—something that grew quickly and naturally, grounded in shared adventures around the world, unforgettable concerts, and most importantly, the quiet joy of simply being together. As much as they love exploring new countries, William and Sharna are both homebodies at heart—perfectly happy in each other's company, wherever they are.

William proposed in Paris, on a quiet bridge with a stunning view of the Eiffel Tower. It was dreamy and romantic—yes, a bit of a cliché, but clichés are clichés for a reason. A few months before the proposal, William enlisted the help of his sister, Jennie, to figure out what kind of ring Sharna would like. Jennie, being Jennie, went about it in the most obvious way possible. At one point, Jennie literally had Sharna try on her own engagement ring and casually asked if Sharna liked it. At that moment, Sharna didn’t think much of it, but the interaction definitely stuck with her. William had suggested the Paris trip as a joint birthday celebration—his and Sharna's birthdays are only four days apart in January. His motives for celebrating in Paris were twofold: he wanted to take Sharna to Paris because she had always dreamed of going, and he had his own deep connection to the city from studying abroad there during college. But the real reason behind the trip was clear to him—he planned to propose. Sharna knew the Paris trip was likely “the one,” but William kept her guessing. He had booked a bunch of fancy restaurant reservations throughout the trip—mostly to throw her off and make it harder to pinpoint when it would happen. On their second day in Paris, with lunch plans set at a nice restaurant, William suggested they take a walk and check out a nearby neighborhood beforehand. William had been saying throughout the planning process that they should just “wing it” in Paris—after all, there are worse things than getting lost in Paris. This way of traveling was very unlike Sharna, who usually likes to plan out every detail of her travel itineraries to make the most of her time. She's the type who'd want to squeeze in four temples in a single day in Bangkok—something they actually did—while William, the foodie of the two, was more concerned about whether they'd have time to fit in multiple meals. Their different travel styles somehow balanced each other out, making the spontaneity of the day even more special. As they wandered through the city before their lunch reservation, Sharna noticed that William was constantly checking his phone, but she figured he was just looking up directions. In reality, William had orchestrated the entire proposal months in advance, hiring a proposal planner to meet them at a specific spot on a lesser-known bridge in Paris, and was messaging her to see if everything was set up for the proposal. The plan? As they walked over the bridge, admiring the views of the Eiffel Tower,  the proposal planner would approach William and Sharna and ask if they’d like their portrait drawn by a French artist for free. Knowing that Sharna would be skeptical and say no, she’d then offer to at least show them what the artist was working on. Sharna leaned in to get a better look at the painting, trying to make sense of it. And in that moment—while she was focused on the canvas—William got down on one knee and pulled out the ring. The painting? It was of William, down on one knee in that very spot on the bridge, proposing to Sharna. She said yes.