The short version... Tyler and Chelsea met star-gazing. Tyler and Chelsea went on a first date and a homeless gentleman tried to steal Chelsea from Tyler. They prayed a Novena and were officially boyfriend and girlfriend. Tyler bought a ring and asked for Chelsea's hand in marriage on New Year's...
The slightly longer version... Tyler and Chelsea were both going to Mass at Holy Rosary in West Seattle and had a mutual friend, David, who made a Facebook event for a bunch of his West Seattle friends to go star gazing during the August meteor shower: https://www.facebook.com/events/1616437688636613/ Chelsea and Tyler both ended up going, and as the five of them ended up at Luther Burbank park on Mercer Island, they laid down on the lawn to look up at the night sky, and Chelsea laid down right between David's dad, and Tyler. The two hadn't met yet, but she figured chatting up the uknown-guy would probably be more fun than chatting up David's dad. Chelsea and Tyler talked all night about bands they had both seen, their faith, the book they both happened to be reading at the very same time (Reservation Blues by Sherman Alexie) and at the end of the night, Chelsea was SURE Tyler would ask for her number. Instead, Tyler took a little more of a casual approach, and added her on Facebook. BUT he quickly made a "Outdoor Movie" event on Facebook and invited her to that. The two began hanging out and Tyler invited Chelsea to go to daily Mass with him. Their first daily Mass adventure, the two got coffee after and chatted for THREE hours! They both knew this had to mean something. After a month of getting to know one another, Tyler asked Chelsea if he could take her out. The date-day was split as Chelsea had a few things to get done that afternoon. The two went to daily Mass in the morning at Sacred Heart in downtown Seattle. They got there early for confession, and upon going up the steps, a homeless gentlemen stopped them; he was sitting outside the church. He asked how he could get in "there". Confused, Tyler and Chelsea explained that he could just "go in", after a little more conversion and realizing the man was very intoxicated, they realized it wasn't that he didn't know if he could go in, it was that he didn't know if he COULD go in... he was too wobbly to walk. Feeling compassion for the man, Chelsea looked at Tyler and told the man that they could help him get inside. Tyler looked at her questioningly, when Chelsea reached over to the man and helped him up. His name was Mark. The two took Mark arm-in-arm inside to the church and sat him down in a pew. But as Chelsea went to leave to sit closer to the front, Mark pleaded for her to stay with him, so she did. Tyler kept peeking in at the two through the glass as he stood in line for confession. Mark made several attempts at kissing Chelsea's hand (and one time succeeding), while she kept trying to tell him she needed her personal space and it was time to pray while we waited for Mass. Finally Tyler was back from confession and sat with the two. Mark slurred, "Aww man! Is this your boyfriend?! Aww man!" and proceeded to fall asleep in the pew. Once Mass began, he woke up, and told them he had to go now, and left. Tyler and Chelsea joked later that Mark stole Tyler's thunder in kissing her during their first date. But that was the thing Chelsea was quickly realizing - while with Tyler, she felt like they could do more together than apart - she felt comfortable helping a homeless man go into a church because she had Tyler by her side to help her. They met back up later that night for gluten-free sushi (a place Tyler found knowing Chelsea is GF and a sushi lover) and drinks. Upon a few more dates, they decided to pray a Novena (a nine day prayer) to St. Therese of Lisieux. They prayed leading up to her feast day, on October 1st. Knowing St. Therese often promised flowers to those who asked for her intercession, showing them that their prayers have been heard, Chelsea asked that if her and Tyler were supposed to be together, that she receive flowers on October 1st and flowers perhaps from someone other than Tyler, as she had a hunch he might get her some anyway. On her bed that night, when she got home from the date with Tyler, was a coupon from her mom for "one bouquet of free daisies" (Chelsea's favorite flower) from the Metropolitan Market. She laughed, thinking of God's humor. This had to be her sign. They dated for a year and soon, they both knew this was it. Tyler found a vintage engagement ring that was just perfect for Chelsea, and on New Year's Eve at midnight, with Chelsea's parents and Aunt and Uncle present, he asked for her hand in marriage overlooking the water outside the Clearwater Casino (a New Year's tradition for Chelsea's family) with fireworks booming in the background. And of course, Chelsea said, "Yes!"