Kristen & Dennis, The Brooklyn Bridge Story

"My Dennis is the eternal romantic. He is my serendipity."

Kristen hated Dennis. He had broken up with her after only a month of dating, and their relationship was only defined by the few times he held her hand. The breakup hurt… but most junior high school breakups do.

A few years after they ended things, Dennis moved to Florida and he and Kristen lost touch for what they both thought was for good. That is, however, until one October night in 2012. Dennis sent Kristen a message on Facebook, and they ended up chatting mindlessly all night until early morning. They ended that unexpected chat with a fateful exchange of phone numbers.

That one Facebook message led to countless hours of phone conversations, several virtual Skype dates and ultimately, a long-distance relationship. They continued where they left off at 12 years old but moved past just holding hands. Eventually, they fell in love.

For a year Kristen and Dennis visited each other every two to three months, but with every visit, the goodbyes got harder. Finally, Dennis decided the phone calls and video chats were not enough. In December of 2013, Kristen and Dennis packed up all his things and moved him back to New York so that they could be together for good.

The Perfect Proposal, from Kristen…

"Dennis suggested we had a "real" date night since we've both been so busy. I've been overwhelmed with school, he's been working crazy hours, and we both have been preparing to go away for his best friend's wedding. I thought nothing of the request, and I was excited to go out. He suggested that we get dressed up, take a walk over the Brooklyn Bridge, make Love Locks and lock them on it, and then have dinner close by.

The morning of our date, Dennis was upset that it was windy and a freezing 25 degrees. I told him to forget the bridge -we could do it on a warmer day- but he was insistent that we had to do it then because we never have time to do fun things like this anymore. He was right, so I agreed.

Around 5 p.m. we embarked on our walk over the bridge, but he wasn't very present. He was texting incessantly the whole time. I believed him when he told me it was his job that was bothering him.

We got to the middle of bridge, and despite the wind almost blowing us over a few times, we stopped to make our Love Locks. I wrote mine and Dennis' initials on a lock and locked it right next to one I made for my mother and my late father. I was now symbolically eternally locked to Dennis, and that lock will forever sit next to the eternal symbol that connected my parents. After taking photos of the locks, we stood in silence for a bit to admire the beauty of New York City. Dennis whispered in my ear that he had a question to ask me. "Go for it," I said, but before I could breathe, he was down on bended knee.

Dennis used my full name and asked me to be his wife. I couldn't muster any words and instead just kept nodding my head up and down. I screamed "Of course it means yes!" after Dennis seriously asked me if I actually meant yes. He got up and kissed me as tears fell down my face, put the gorgeous princess cut solitaire diamond ring on my finger and whispered into my ear that he loves me.

I hadn't noticed before, but this whole time on the bridge, there was a man standing 20 feet behind me, taking pictures. The lovely photographer Vlad Leto was hired by Dennis to be our own personal paparazzi. Not only did I have an amazing proposal, but I was lucky enough to have it documented!

After that life changing walk over the Brooklyn Bridge we had an amazing dinner at Atriumin Brooklyn. We just spent five days in Disney World. We're back home now and enjoying our time as an engaged couple. All this time though, since the second I saw him on one knee on that bridge, I've been living in a dream. I am in engaged bliss.

From the boy who broke my heart at 12 years old, to long distance love, to live in boyfriend, to now fianc?e; My Dennis is the eternal romantic. He is my serendipity."