Dallin and Chanele’s Love Story

How did you guys meet?

Dallin was friends with my roommate, and lived a few blocks down the street. She had always spoken highly of him,  but since I was dating someone else at the time, my interest in him ended at “oh, he’s a friend of a friend”. However, the storybook romance with my then-boyfriend ended a few months later, with many tears and a newly acquired bitterness towards deceitful men and the grand hoax called love. Meanwhile, my sweet roommate let Dallin know that I was now single, and he bravely asked me on a date soon thereafter. The short story: I quickly discovered how comfortable and happy I was around Dallin–in a way that I never really was around my previous boyfriend–and I slowly (but surely!) discovered his goodness, honesty, and loyalty as well. He taught me that love isn’t just a feeling, but a decision… and that the best kind of love has friendship at its core.

First thoughts about one another after you met?

I thought he was a good-looking guy, with quirky ears and a quick sense of humor.

Dallin says that he thought I was pretty and really nice, but almost “too nice… like, no-personality nice”.

We had some work to do from those first impressions.

Who said “I love you” first?

Dallin, as per tradition.

Tell us about your first date:

We went for a hike with a bit of bouldering (which consisted of me bravely climbing up rocks, then awkwardly shimmying back down on my rear) and ate pears Dallin had brought for some extra energy. He had me laughing harder than I had ever anticipated from a first date, and he admired how genuine I was.

Tell us about your first kiss:

One night, two weeks after we started dating, my roommates were talking about how great the moon looked outside. I pulled Dallin outside so we could see it, but the moon was blocked from view by my apartment building. Dallin suggested that we cross the parking lot for a better view, but I wasn’t wearing shoes and didn’t want to get my socks dirty. He gave me a piggyback (ignoring my embarrassment) and we made our way to the other side where indeed, the moon looked beautiful. Then he brought me safely back to my doorstep, where he set me down and kissed me.

How did you know he/she was the one?

From my previous experiences, I had long since decided that there was no such thing as “the one”. However, I decided that Dallin would be “my one” (and only) when he proved patiently throughout our relationship that he was steadfast, trustworthy, and that he loved me entirely.

Dallin says that he decided by the way he felt around me, and seeing how kind and good I was to others.

How did he propose?

Dallin took me on a date to “the cinema”, for which we dressed up in our finest (red dress and heels for me, suit and fake mustache for him). Afterwards, we bought a half gallon of ice cream and ate it while sitting in the fancy leather chairs of the BYU law building. He brought me home later that night, where he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him… with no cameras or flash mobs in sight. I couldn’t have been happier.

What are the top 5 things you love about each other?

Top five things, not in order:

Dallin, about Chanele:  She likes trying new things, sincerely cares about people, is always striving to become a better person, has a child-like happiness about so many things, and is amazingly attractive. 😉

Chanele, about Dallin: He is a hard-worker, calm and dependable, makes me laugh and knows how to pull me out of my worst mood, is a great example of faith, and forgives/seeks forgiveness. I really am so blessed.