It must have been fate. In April 2014, Danielle moved into a house in Hicksville, NY after ending a long-term relationship. Just a few months later, in June 2014, David moved into the SAME house for the SAME reason! They quickly became friends, helping each other through a tough time in their lives. Their account of what happens next is a point of debate...

Danielle: It was a tough summer, but David was there, making me laugh and asking me a million questions. We watched a lot of movies together and I showed interest in his art projects. I met his family when we went crabbing together in late July 2014. It was a fun day and my first time crabbing...turns out, I'm a natural! I thought that David was developing feelings for me, but I was worried about our roommate relationship. However, time went by and he constantly showed me what a caring, giving, funny, and loving man he is. By the fall, I didn't quite know what to do. So, when he asked me to go on a date with him on October 18, 2014, I said yes! He surprised me by taking me for archery lessons...something I had wanted to do for a long time. It was the best first date I had ever been on, and the rest, as they say, is history!

David: A daily routine I enjoyed was coming home from work, seeing Danielle and making fun of her or just goofing around with a Jimmy Fallon voice. I remember one night after I had been living here for maybe 2 or 3 weeks Danielle wasn't home. It was the first time she wasn't home since I had moved in so it was a BIG DEAL! I asked one of our roommates where she was and he said "I don't know she had make-up on or something." So for the next month or so I decided it was going to be funny to give her a hard time about her extravagant make-up outing. Then, in late July I was going crabbing with my mom and grandpa and decided I would invite Danielle along if she was interested. Danielle, being up for most things at least once said, "Sure why not!" We had a super fun day together and this is the day I will always argue that Danielle started to fall in love with me, even though if you ask her she will deny it. I personally know the moment I knew Danielle was the one but can't pinpoint the actual date or time (that summer was somewhat of a blur). I remember how kind she had always been to me even when I was basically a complete stranger and remember thinking this is the nicest girl I've ever met. I knew I was going to marry her someday and now I AM! :)

David: I remember in February 2015 my dad came to visit me so he could meet Danielle and see where I had been living for the past couple of months. When I dropped him off at the airport I told him we were going to have to start figuring out an engagement ring (he's a jeweler) because I knew I was going to marry Danielle. Fast forward to August 2015. I began researching ring styles and trying to narrow down what she might like. I wanted to keep it a secret but decided I should let her friend Maura in on the surprise so I could have another woman's perspective on the ring. I knew I wanted to propose on October 18th 2015, exactly one year from when I finally convinced Danielle to go on a date with me. I got an email saying Billy Joel had a concert at Madison Square Garden on October 21, 2015. It wasn't quite the 18th but I knew she had always wanted to see him and I thought maybe it would be cool to propose at the concert. The concert proposal plans didn't really seem to be working out (luckily because someone else proposed that night at the concert and it was awkward). I tried wracking my brain for something else I could do. I personally am a big karaoke fan so I was trying to figure out a way to get her to a karaoke bar after the concert so I could go up on stage sing to her and then propose to her, but there was too much chance involved and I wanted it to go perfect. I was telling my friend Chris (one of the groomsmen) the idea and he was like, "Hey why don't you rent a limo with a DVD player to pick you up from the show?" BINGO! We had a winner. So one night while Danielle was out doing something (maybe teaching, I have a hard time keeping track of her busy schedule) I recorded myself singing Frankie Valli's "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" and James Brown's "I Feel Good" and burned it on to a disk to play in the limo. Fast forward to early October. My dad was still trying to find the perfect stone and working on the design of the ring (which he made from scratch!). I basically didn't sleep at all that month because I was so nervous that something wouldn't go as planned and that it wouldn't be perfect or that the ring wouldn't come on time. Only five days before the big day, the ring arrived! I now had to hold onto it for almost a whole week before popping the question. Anyways as you can tell or might have heard, the ultimate date went great (aside from the fact I woke up with a cold that morning since I hadn't basically slept for weeks) She said yes! Obviously or you wouldn't be here reading this story and the rest is history!

Danielle: David told me to reserve Wednesday, October 21st for a surprise date. I thought it was a bit odd to go on a date in the middle of the week, but had a sense that it was to celebrate our year anniversary. I was excited and thought there was a good chance he might propose, but I was afraid of getting my hopes up. When David was picking out his outfit for that night, he was insistent that he wear his heavy leather jacket even though it was a mild day for October. I thought this was strange given that he typically hates carrying around a coat. By asking a few questions, I learned that we were taking the train to Penn Station and staying in midtown. My friend Amanda was going to a Billy Joel concert at MSG that night and so I began to put two and two together (or at least I hoped). When we arrived at MSG, I was BEYOND excited! The concert was incredible! When another man proposed to his fiancee during the concert, I thought David looked a bit unhappy. Amanda texted me shortly after to ask if it was me, and I told her that it wasn't. The concert concluded and David told me we had to be somewhere at 11 pm. We grabbed a quick drink and then he led me to a street corner back near MSG. I just kept looking at him and asking what on earth we were doing when he walked up to a big limo, talked to the driver and then informed me that was going to be our ride home to Hicksville. I immediately started crying and shaking because I knew this had to be the big moment! We got in the limo and David put a DVD into the player. It was him, dressed up with a top hat, singing "Can't Take My Eyes Off You." If you know David's singing, you will understand why I was both laughing and crying. The DVD paused and David took a piece of paper out of his jacket. He read me his beautiful proposal, explaining that he had to write it down because he was so nervous. He tried to get down on one knee in the limo and he handed me the box with the ring. I could barely see it because I kept crying! Then the DVD clicked on again and David was back, singing "I Feel Good." David filled me in on the backstory and all of his sleepless nights were explained. I was on Cloud 9 as we called/texted family and friends for the remainder of the ride home.