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WEDDING
Roomie Romance BRIDE MEETS BEAU THROUGH GAL PAL.
BY PEG GILL · PHOTOS BY JENNIFER KLINK PHOTOGRAPHY
J
ust before finishing her first year at Mizzou in 2012, Laura Fuchs went to St. Louis for a weekend to visit her high school friend, Mary, at
Saint Louis University. Mary mentioned her new boyfriend would be joining them and bringing his roommate, Danny. The four hung out that night, with Laura and Danny really hitting it off. Once the school year ended, Laura moved home to St. Louis for the summer, and she and Danny spent pretty much every day together. After graduation, both settled in Columbia and nine years after meeting, got engaged on July 18, 2020 — the day after Danny's birthday. Laura thought they were going to St. Louis to celebrate his birthday, but no! Danny's tale of golf with the guys, then meeting up in the afternoon for a pool party and barbecue was an elaborate ruse: He had arranged for Laura's friend Emily to take her hiking, and he didn't hit the links at all. Instead, he hit the ground running to pull off a huge surprise engagement party. After a long morning of hiking, Laura and Emily ate a leisurely lunch and even stopped to get Danny a “happy birthday” cookie cake, something Laura nearly dropped when she opened the gate to her parents' backyard. Music started to play and, to her surprise, Danny was standing there, not golfing. Confused, she didn't really register what was happening until Danny dropped to one knee, her family and friends appeared from around the corner and he proposed!
134 INSIDE COLUMBIA MARCH/april
2022
