In October 2020, after too many angsty, frustrating online dating experiences, I (Dan) let my eHarmony membership expire, vowing “I’m done”. Within a few months, however, my best friend (and Best Man) encouraged me to try a few free dating apps he’d heard of. I gravitated toward Hinge, and soon found a profile featuring an attractive woman with pictures from around the world. Pretty? Likes to travel? An apparent affinity for Broadway musicals? Check, check, and check. I sent her a message, and, on a Sunday night two weeks later, I got a response—the first I’d heard back from anyone on Hinge. We started messaging, and, about a month later, we met up at a coffee shop—even though, it turns out, neither of us drinks coffee. We chatted for about three hours that night, I asked for her number, she gave it to me, and the rest, as they say, is history…

We were days away from going on a weeklong trip to Banff, a universally renowned site in the Canadian Rockies. Majestic peaks, lush forests, and glistening lakes awaited—all of them begging to be the background for an engagement photo. But I (Dan) was sweating bullets. I’d bought The Ring, but was truly restless over the idea of traveling and going through Customs while keeping it secure but hidden. Luckily, I had another idea, one that was maybe less grand but still effective—her favorite artist, the one and only Betty Who, has a cute tune called “Marry Me”. So I suggested we go to a trivia night downtown, and I told her I’d pick her up. I brought a few bouquets of flowers (a monthly tradition), couldn’t help but smile at how great she looked, and when she stepped into her bedroom to place one vase of flowers in an ideal spot, I started “Marry Me” and sank to one knee. Her response? “Oh! Y…You’re really doing this NOW?” Well, okay, that was her initial response. Once I said what I wanted to say, asked The Question, and presented The Ring, I got the response I was really looking for: “Yes.” (And by the way, it turned out she was a little nervous about the possibility of the proposal occurring some time during the trip to Banff, too. So we both got to go and experience gorgeous Canada stress-free!)