Real People in Love: Danni & Nick

I was a little surprised and very glad to receive an email from Danni from oh, hello friend asking about the Brown Paper Packages exchange. Oh, hello friend is a wonderfully inspiring blog and is always full of lovely images. So obviously, I was TOTALLY excited when Danni agreed to participate in my Real People in Love series. Danni is the woman behind this beautiful shop and she and her fiance, Nick, are getting married this fall (and you know how I love sharing other engaged couples!)

How old are you?

I am 24

How long have you & Nick been together?

Nick and I have been together for 5 years this September.

What are your occupations?

I am a graphic designer and Nick is a visual artist, he designs environments & levels for video games :)

How did you meet?

We met in college, at the art institute!

How did you get engaged?

Nick proposed last November. He took me on a surprise trip to Seattle, because I love the rain. He planned to propose in the rain but ironically, we had missed the rain storm in Seattle and it was sunny when we arrived.

Tell us about your wedding day (not necessarily elements but feelings too):

We plan to get married in September. We decided we want to have a small wedding, to take the stress off. I'm so excited to marry him, I'm actually not sure why we set the date so late. Well, the day we're getting married will mark the 5th official year we will have been dating, so that's special. But otherwise, I'd go down to the courthouse and marry tomorrow if we could ;)

Define Love:

I think the best definition of love is from 1st Corinthians 13. Verse 4-7: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

What is the toughest part of being in a committed relationship?

I honestly don't think there is a tough part about a committed relationship... before it was probably just figuring out working through disagreements, but 5 years later we have it down ;)

What is the best part?

Everything! It is such a joy to have a best friend who I can share life with!

What is the best day the two of you have had together?

We have a lot of fun days. There isn't a specific day I can think of in my mind: but our best days are when we go out together and joke in the car, sing a long to songs on the radio, and just are able to spend time together. Good times :)

Photo via Simply Bloom Photography (My Favorite!)

What makes you different from other couples?

Our relationship is so special, and the circumstances of how we met is really a blessing. I was all set to go to another college, I had my dorm room set and everything. But I decided last minute to go to the art institute. Nick is from Missouri and he wasn't sure if he should be an artist or a cop. So he literally flipped a coin to decide and it landed on heads for California and art school! lol We met at poker night, and I didn't like him at ALL. I totally thought he was rude and arrogant. But it all changed one night when I invited him to church and we went and hung out afterwards :) So that's our story!

What is your favorite thing to do together?

Our favorite thing to do is take an evening, light a candle, and watch our favorite TV show or something. We're always working so hard, it's nice to take some time for ourselves and just relax, which we don't get to do often!

Do you have a song?

We don't really have a song, but we both love Frank Sinatra.

What is the most essential element of making it?

Respect is key... and trust. Growing up I had issues from observing my parents relationship so I took those concerns into our relationship. It took all this time to work through realizing our relationship isn't and won't be like my parents... I trust Nick with all my heart. <3