Like many modern love stories, this one begins on a dating app. It was February 2022. Kelsey and Dan were living in Charlotte, North Carolina. Kelsey was working in the corporate world, traveling a lot, and Dan was working as a pilot for the airlines… also, obviously… traveling a lot. Kelsey and Dan started messaging back and forth. There was witty banter and lots of laughs but because of their schedules, they couldn’t find a time to meet up. Weeks went by and they nearly had forgotten about each other when a thought randomly occurred to Kelsey - “What about that Dan guy? He was really funny, I wonder what he’s up to.” This became known as the moment where Kelsey “circled back” to Dan.

At that point, their schedules seamlessly aligned and they found themselves making dinner plans at Thai Orchid. Dan was late, which Kelsey quickly pointed out upon his arrival. And so the roasting began; which, as Kelsey later found out, is Dan’s primary love language. Their first date was wonderful. They were a match from the start and would eventually reveal that they both deleted the app just days after that first date.

And as they say, the rest was history. Kelsey and Dan continued seeing one another as frequently as their busy schedules would allow. They bonded over their shared interests of golf, live music, Thai food, hiking, and binging TV shows. Kelsey came to embrace Dan’s first love, Manchester United. Kelsey’s four-leggeds, Ginny (the dog) and KK & Simba (the cats), eventually warmed up to Dan. Yes, even KK, the two-faced one. They took trips to Asheville, Washington D.C., Chicago, St. Augustine, and Jackson Hole. They also spent time with each of their families- Kelsey’s in Columbus, OH and Dan’s in Somerset, England.

Dan and Kelsey moved from Charlotte to Tampa in August 2023 and were settling into life in the suburbs. After a chance encounter with Kelsey's dad at the D.C. airport, Dan had the blessing of Kelsey's family to get married. And thus began the ring design phase. Dan enlisted Sean Gilson to design Kelsey's ring. Sean created Kelsey's parent's rings back in 1980. Talk about full circle!

As Dan was planning the perfect proposal, Kelsey and Dan discovered they were expecting. They were hoping to start a family at some point, just not exactly at that time. But as we know, sometimes the greatest blessings aren’t ones that we plan for. So to Kelsey’s complete surprise, on a random Monday night, Dan popped the question in their backyard. Their dog, Ginny, wore a special bandana and the crape myrtle trees were in full bloom. It was simply perfect.

Dan and Kelsey held a small wedding ceremony on August 25, 2024. Barefoot in the sand, ocean breeze, late afternoon storm off in the distance… It was beautiful. Dan’s parents came over from England to celebrate the nuptials. Kelsey’s parents and brother came down from Ohio. The newlyweds spent the next several months preparing for baby’s arrival.

On February 18, 2025, Eleanor “Nora” Patricia White was born. Since then, Dan and Kelsey have embraced marriage and parenthood in stride. Their lives look a lot different than when they first met, but they’re very much enjoying this season of life.