Hey there! We’re Dana and Bret, two Traverse City natives who somehow kept missing each other until the stars finally aligned. We’ve got a fun little “almost-met” history: we both took the same Jazz Appreciation class at Northwestern Michigan College (I was a high school student, and Bret was there with his girlfriend). We also shared some mutual friends, one of whom was too nervous to introduce his “weird” friends to his “cool lifeguard” buddies. Turns out, Bret was one of those cool lifeguards. We had plenty of overlapping circles, but never actually met until later.

After high school, I went to Northern Michigan University in 2010 and stayed there until 2012. Bret moved to Marquette in 2016 to study Biology. After I left Marquette, I spent a few years living in places like California, North Carolina, Florida, and Texas before finally coming back to Traverse City in 2021. That same year, Bret returned to TC to help out with a family situation. And then, in the spring of 2022, we finally met, and it was like everything just clicked into place.

We knew right away that this was something real. It felt so natural — easy, even. Bret is my calm in the storm (I’m the storm, by the way). He’s got this quiet, steady energy that makes me feel safe and secure in ways I’d never felt before. And me? I’m the fiery one, always going full speed ahead, but Bret’s patience and grounding presence help me find balance.

Bret has been a true partner in every sense — supporting me through my goals and pushing me to do things I didn’t think I could. He’s also been the best dad to my two girls from a previous relationship. They adore him, and the way he loves them makes me fall in love with him more every day.

We both work in human services because we care deeply about helping those who often get overlooked. Bret has worked with everyone from kids in foster care to seniors in nursing homes. He’s worked with toddlers in daycare and special needs teens in their homes and communities, and now he’s helping vulnerable people find and keep housing. He’s got the patience of a saint and a heart of gold. I’m an advocate at a domestic violence agency, and I’ve worked in law enforcement and corrections, so we’re both all in when it comes to supporting people who need it most.

When we're not working or with the girls, you’ll usually find us outside. Whether we’re going for nature walks, floating down rivers, or just hanging out with our pets, we’re happiest when we’re outdoors. One of our favorite places to be as a family is the cabin on Drummond Island, where Bret proposed — and where our adventure together began.

We’re so excited to start this next chapter of our lives together, surrounded by the people and places we love.