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Can you imagine two people who grew up in the same city, went to the same high school, knew each others siblings, but never each other?

Dani and Walter both grew up in Virginia Beach, Virginia and attended First Colonial High School, only a year apart. While their paths took them on two very different journeys- Walter enlisting in the Coast Guard and Dani sinking her heels into public safety- they crossed again in November 2019, while Walter was in town for training.

Their first date turned into two, as their dinner spilled into drinks and hours of talking. And even though Walter was moving to Texas in a few short months, something just clicked. After a few more dates, they decided to keep in communication long distance, unofficially, and learn more about each other through trips and Facetimes.

But then 2020 hit and everyone was quarantined. The trips were put off, but they still spoke every day for hours, much to the dismay of the people around them.

By August, it was hard to keep the L word to themselves. A trip was booked for Dani to visit Walter in Pensacola for September, but it seemed utterly too far away. So one night, during their nightly FaceTime, Dani and Walter finally told each other how in love they were.

Another hitch in the plan happened 2 days before Dani was set to take off, when Hurricane Sally hit the Gulf Coast and Walter's condo was under 3 feet of water. He was evacuated to Alabama, but it wasn't enough to deter Dani. After landing in Pensacola, she hired a rental car and drove to Orange Beach. They shared their first kiss in over 9 months.

For the next year, they continued to grow their relationship in-between deployments and crazy shift work. Plane tickets and luggage that never ended up unpacked, littered their bedrooms.

In October 2021, they experienced a traumatic event that would make or break most couples. But they stayed strong, communicated thoroughly, and thrived.

Dani packed up her belongings and cats, and traveled halfway across the country to move to San Antonio, Texas in December 2021, to officially begin their lives together.

Through ups and downs, holidays away from families, and even more deployments, Dani and Walter learned how to navigate life as a team. They even added one more member to their family, when a young Bubba followed Walter on a tennis court until he brought him home. He was the perfect addition and both felt like God placed him in their lives when they needed him the most.

When Walter decided in 2023 to leave active duty, their new path led them to Fairfax, Virginia. It was back on the East Coast, 30 minutes from Washington D.C., and just far enough from family where they couldn't pop in unannounced. 😅

But in March of 2024, they decided that near family was where they wanted to be. One more move brought them back to Virginia Beach, so that they could watch their nieces and nephews grow up.

Their favorite thing to do together is to go on impromptu trips. Whether it was Austin to visit friends, Houston or DC to watch an NBA Game, state parks to hike to beautiful peaks, or Baltimore where they left with the worst flu, their adventures continue to carry their love through time and space.

Walter took Dani to a romantic cabin in Diggs, Virginia in January of 2025. Caught in a snow storm, he asked her to dance in the small kitchen to Morgan Wallen's Spin You Around. Midway through the song, he dropped to his knee and finally asked her to marry him, amid words of love and adoration. Through tears, she could do nothing but say YES emphatically.

And now, they're tired of waiting to make their last names one.

So please join the happy couple in September, one day after their 5th anniversary, to celebrate their love and union to each other under God and with their families and friends around them.

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They discussed marriage fairly early on, knowing that there was no one else for them. Dani even accidently proposed in 2022 on Facebook, much to Walter's chagrin when the influx of text messages began.

For 2 years, Walter heard from friends, family, and even strangers on when he would pop the question. It never seemed like the perfect time, and they had a lot more growing to do.

He finally realized there wouldn't ever be a perfect time, especially after she fell asleep before midnight on New Years 2024 and ruined his first proposal plan.

Dani, completely oblivious to this, was more than excited to get away for a weekend when he suggested they have a romantic trip to a cabin. The rest is history.