Darlene & Fat’s story, as told to Bumble by the happy couple:

We were both completely over dating apps, but we also each had a friend who convinced us to download Bumble. Not the same friend—just a convenient coincidence.

I was her first right swipe, and she was my first connection. A typo in her initial message made for a bit of an awkward introduction, but my corny humor got us past that—luckily she likes corny humor. We chatted all night and decided to meet in person the next day. The “date” was very laid back. I told her we would go ride bikes around the harbor, talk, and get to know each other—if things went well maybe we’d get dinner. For the record, we ate at a Thai restaurant around the corner.

A little more than a month went by, and as we were eating breakfast on my veranda a feeling came over my like I had never had before. I was hesitant to say it out loud at first, but it eventually came out… “I could get use to this.” It was a simple phrase, but I knew exactly what it meant, and she did too. The feelings were mutual.

The following month we took down some of my personal photos I had on the dresser and entertainment center and replaced them with pictures of her family and us. My house was now our house, and she moved in.

Exactly one year after the day we met we celebrated with a weekend getaway on Catalina Island. I knew she was expecting me to propose there—how could she not? I could see the disappointment on her face as we boarded the boat to head back home. However, she didn’t know I had a surprise waiting for her…

Her mother and brother to fly in from New York to be there for the special occasion—one of her goals for the year was to have them come visit as her father recently passed away. I had two months worth of planning, preparation, and coordination ready to unfold. After exiting the boat I put my bags on a bench and asked her to wait while I went to the restroom. My friend was waiting in the restroom with a change of clothes and the most beautiful ring you could imagine. I quickly put on my suit coat, grabbed the ring, and took a deep breath. Just as planned, her mother and brother came out from their hiding spot to surprise her, and while she was hugging them I snuck up from behind and got down on one knee. Once she turned around and saw me I asked her to marry me in Polish—her first language. It was a proposal right out of a storybook.

We’ve been engaged for four wonderful months now, and our big day is less than two months away. The day after we get married we will leave behind our home in Southern California and travel abroad for six months as we grow our relationship as newlyweds.

Neither one of us could have ever imaged we’d find someone so perfect to share our life with, but we are living proof that even the most picky people can find the right one!

Thanks for introducing us, Bumble! 

Thank you so much for sharing your story with us – we are so happy for you two! Congratulations and so much love from The Bumble Hive!  

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