John and Dani met through friends of friends on Torch Lake during the summer of 2020. After a boat ride featuring mostly Pitch Perfect songs, Dani knew they had to stick around for the bonfire. Later that night, John worked up the courage to ask Dani to take a ride with him on the dinghy. That little trip turned into a long conversation as they drifted away from the dock—unable to start the motor.

With only a few weeks of summer left, the two crammed in family events, boating adventures, and even one unexpected hospital visit.

The timing, however, was less than ideal. John was heading back to school, and so was Danielle—but to colleges 13 hours apart. Not exactly great timing to fall in love. But somehow, they made it work. There were multiple road trips, countless FaceTime dates—including starting a movie at the exact same time just for one of them to fall asleep on the other end—and a whole lot of patience.

Despite the distance, Dani and John only grew closer and ended up with a lot of great stories to tell.

Fast forward 4 years later John brought Dani back to the spot where they first met, got down on one knee, and believe it or not she said yes!