From Instagram to Forever

It started with the most LA thing ever—a slide into the DMs.

In 2015, Peter spotted Danielle on Instagram and took his shot. "Have I seen you at any parties around town?" he messaged, employing what he thought was a smooth opener.

Danielle's response was swift and certain: "No. For so many reasons, I don't go out."

Most guys would have taken the hint. Peter wasn't most guys.

"How about the beach?" he countered, undeterred by her initial shutdown. "Fresh air, sunshine, no party scene—just conversation."

Something in his persistence intrigued her. Maybe it was his confidence, or maybe it was the fact that he suggested the beach instead of a nightclub. Either way, Danielle found herself saying yes.

A few days later, their first meeting unfolded in the most unplanned way. What started as a casual movie at Peter's place somehow evolved into lunch at Marmalade Cafe in The Grove. They sat across from each other, two strangers discovering all the ways they weren't strangers at all.

"The Dark Knight is the best movie ever?" "Best franchise of all time is Harry Potter." "You know I reached out to you on Facebook a couple years before, right?"

The hours flew by, conversation flowing as naturally as the ocean Peter had initially suggested as their meeting spot.

As they walked through The Grove afterward, shoulders occasionally brushing, both were thinking the same thing: "This feels different."

The first date became a second, then a third. Late-night phone calls stretched until dawn. Text messages pinged throughout the day, their phones constantly lighting up with notifications that made them both smile, no matter where they were or what they were doing.

When they moved in together, it felt less like a new chapter and more like finally reading the book in the correct order. Their apartment became a home—the kind where inside jokes lined the walls more prominently than any framed art.

Eleven years passed in the beautiful blur that is life when you're with your person. The LA skyline watched as two people who once didn't know each other became each other's everything.

And now, on June 15th, 2025, Peter—who once had nothing better than "Seen you at any parties?" as an opening line—will stand across from Danielle and promise forever. The homebody who "for so many reasons" didn't go out will say "I do" to the one reason she's glad she finally did.

Sometimes love slides into your DMs when you least expect it. And sometimes, it stays for good.