They met at Miracle on Seventh Street - a DC Pop-Up bar - with the theme of Stranger Things and Christmas. By the third bar of the pop-up bar, Ryan approached Leslie, very suavely, and said " ¡Hola! Me llamo Ryan Alexander Hussey, yo hablo español." Intrigued by his humor and portuguese-sounding spanish, Leslie agreed on a date. After their first date, they soon realized their deep love for food, drinks, and witty humor. Sadly, they did not work out, but kept returning to each other like waves to the sand. It took some time and trials before a frustrated cupid struck them both with his arrow. In fact, the third time was their charm, and they are forever grateful and happy to have given their hearts a chance.

After Leslie convinced Ryan to join her for the DCRUNCREW vacation in Curaçao, they were mesmerized by the turquoise water, dutch architecture, and welcoming people/vibes. They spent a few days exploring the island, running miles, and eating good foods. When everyone from their running group finally arrived, the group went dancing at Mambo Beach. Ryan and Leslie danced the night away until they reached a bar that played salsa music. Slowly Ryan's notorious chicken-dance-moves appeared, and Leslie accused him of terrible dancing. Needless-to-say, this led to an argument and then a deep discussion. Ryan agreed to take bachata lessons and Leslie promised to learn French (Ryan's beloved language). They spent the next day at Turtle Beach where Leslie finally saw sea turtles (her spirit animal). That evening after a walk in the sunset, Leslie and Ryan swam in the ocean. With the sun setting and the moon and stars as witnesses, Leslie proposed to Ryan and he said "Yes!" Leslie then proceeded to lift him to the shore.

The Curacao proposal began the journey of finding an engagement ring. Short-version: The lovebirds flew to Bogota, Colombia where in Indiana-Jones-style, less than 48 hours, and with some beautiful negotiating in Spanish from Ryan (he has skills), they found the perfect emerald. It took many more weeks before they located a special jeweler in DC who dared to mount the ring. This leads us to the BIG Proposal. Ryan and Leslie escaped the winter to Hawaii for Leslie's 35th birthday. With Andrew and Amanda, their incredible hosts, they explored O'ahu. On the day of the proposal, they climbed the 1,048 steps up Koko Trial and ran the 2-mile-uphill of the Makapu'u Lighthouse Trail, each location giving them breathtaking views and proposal opportunities. It wasn't until they arrived at Sunset Beach, that Ryan invited Leslie for a stroll. After a very long walk on the soft sand, as the sun started to kiss the ocean, Ryan got on one knee and asked Leslie to be his wife---she said, "Yes!" At that moment a full rainbow appeared. There are only a few selfies of this moment. Thank you to Andrew and Amanda, the continued happiness of this moment was captured on the beach and recaptured while paddle boarding. And now, the couple is excited to celebrate their love with you!!!