At a concert in Gainesville, Florida; Walker wearing his Virginia Tech Dairy club jacket, and Malerie wearing cow tag earrings, crossed paths. From that point on, their lives should stay interwined. Walker was in town with his friend, Stephen Stang. Malerie attended with friend, Laice Varnum, who served as wing woman that night.
While visiting family in Williston, the pair made a trip to the Whitehurst's family river house, along with Walker's sister, Senah, and her boyfriend Stephen, Walker's friend. There, Walker got down on his knee with his drone flying over head to capture the moment.