Our Story
Some love stories begin with a grand romantic gesture.
Ours began with a photograph.
We first crossed paths through a local social group, exchanging the occasional message but never properly meeting. That changed at the group's anniversary celebration, where fate and Alex's confidence intervened.
Dan had arrived on a date with someone else. Alex promptly borrowed him for a photograph, recruited his date as the photographer, and left him wondering whether he'd just been brilliantly outmanoeuvred. As it turned out, he had.
Not long afterwards, we went on our first date. Dan was late, very late, but thankfully Alex decided he was worth waiting for.
What followed wasn't a whirlwind romance, but something even better. After Alex became unwell, Dan dropped off a care package and stayed to keep her company. One evening became another, then another, as hours of conversation turned into something much deeper.
Somewhere in those late-night conversations, we realised we'd found something we'd both been looking for: someone who made us feel completely at home. What began as getting to know one another quietly became a partnership built on trust, laughter and an unwavering belief that life was simply better together.
A promise in Spain
As our relationship grew, so did our certainty that we'd found something special. During a trip to Spain, we made a promise to always choose each other and the life we wanted to build together, with honesty, patience and plenty of adventure.
Looking back, that promise became the foundation of everything that followed.
The proposal
A few years later, Dan planned the perfect proposal in Thailand. At least, that was the intention.
The reality involved delayed boats, missed timings, frantic last-minute changes and getting ready in the back of a car after being collected straight from the ferry. It was chaotic, slightly ridiculous and nothing like the carefully planned surprise Dan had imagined.
But somehow, once we finally made it there, all the chaos became part of the story. In hindsight, it couldn't have been more fitting. Throughout our relationship, plans have changed, obstacles have appeared and life has rarely followed the script. Yet we've always found our way by choosing each other.
So when Dan finally asked the question, surrounded not by perfection but by a story we'd laugh about for years to come, the answer was an easy one.
Becoming three
Since then, our story has grown in the most meaningful way. Tyler, Alex's younger brother, joined our family, making us a family of three.
He has brought new routines, deeper responsibility and a kind of love that has made the future feel even more real.
Looking back, it's funny to think our story began with a single photograph.
Since then, we've built a life filled with laughter, resilience, adventure and more love than either of us could have imagined. Today isn't just about celebrating where we've been, it's about promising to keep choosing one another through every chapter still to come, alongside the family we've built together.
We couldn't be happier to share that moment with all of you.