It all started when...

In August of 2011, Paul moved from Albany, NY to Orlando, FL. A few months later, he joined a group of Disney fans who met in the theme parks on a weekly basis. He also decided to get SCUBA certified in late 2012.

One of Iris's friends introduced her to that very same group of Disney fans in late 2012, and she decided to go to her first meet in January 2013. And so completely by chance and without any thought as to the significance of the encounter, Paul and Iris met at Disney's Hollywood Studios on January 5, 2013.

It would not be until 4 months later that Iris came to another group meet. When she did, Paul was shocked that the group had not scared her away as they'd assumed. On their third meeting, Iris revealed that she too was in the process of getting SCUBA certified, giving them something else in common. But it was not until several more encounters, on July 21, 2013, that things started to change. While at a meet at Epcot for one of their friend's birthdays, Iris excused herself to get some fresh air, and Paul asked if she'd like some company. What followed was an hours-long conversation between the two of them, about each other, their jobs, their hobbies, and more.

In the following month, Paul and Iris got together several more times, at SeaWorld, Disney, and Universal, all the while refusing to admit that their get-togethers really were dates. On August 10, 2013, they spent their longest time together, spending virtually the whole day at Magic Kingdom and Disney's Pop Century Resort. Shortly thereafter, at Discovery Cove, the two admitted to themselves and each other that they had become a couple without ever realizing it.

Over the next four years, Paul and Iris have had a wonderful time being together, having several adventures and trips. They've visited the theme parks, the beaches, an astonishing amount of escape rooms, and have gone on vacations to Virginia, Massachusetts, Maine, Alaska, and California. They love their life and they love each other, and they can't wait to solidify their relationship in marriage.

The proposal

On September 2nd, 2017, Paul and Iris boarded the beautiful Disney Fantasy cruise ship at Port Canaveral, FL. It was to be their second cruise ever, with 7 nights to the Caribbean. On the second night of the cruise, Paul rather suspiciously and insistently suggested that he wanted to get a picture with Captain Mickey, because, he reasoned (not at all obviously...), Mickey can't be found in his Captain's uniform on land, so this was his only chance.

Waiting in line to meet Mickey after enjoying a show at the Walt Disney Theater, Iris graciously avoided trying to look in the direction of Paul's pocket, and was kind enough to pretend not to notice what he was doing on his phone. When at last they'd reached the front of the line, Paul handed his phone to the cast member attending to Captain Mickey, and then this happened: