It’s a miracle that Denielle Maillot and Nick Grady didn’t meet years sooner than they did.

Their grandparents were neighbours. Their parents went to school together and looked after one another growing up. When she was young, Denielle’s family lived next door to the same sets of grandparents. Despite frequent neighbourly favours, like snow-blowing the driveway, or offering ski lessons, Denielle and Nick never met.

Nick’s photo even made its way into Denielle’s family albums. Her cousin played hockey with Nick for years. “My grandma kept every card we ever made, every school picture, and every article. She had a whole photo album dedicated to newspaper clippings from when my cousin played hockey in his younger years,” she said. In almost every single one, Nick's name was right beside her cousin’s. “It was surreal to see how many things Nick had been in all throughout my childhood in my grandma's home, and I had no clue until many years later.”

The miracle meeting

True to their consistent family connections, the couple’s sisters were good friends. When Denielle’s sister needed a plus one to Nick’s sister’s wedding, Denielle agreed to go. “And there he was. I saw him for the very first time!” she said. “I remember being just awestruck by him, but we never spoke.” Again, this couple had to wait.

A few weeks later, Denielle went to a comedy show with her girlfriends. “Of course, he was sitting with people that I went to school with since kindergarten,” she said. “How did we not know each other?!”

Don’t hold your breath—they don’t officially speak to each other here yet either. Instead, Nick winked at Denielle on his way out after the show, but his winked worked its magic. “That was one of the most monumental moments of my life, because from that very point on, he had me for forever.”

The good news you’ve been waiting for: soon after, Denielle and Nick (finally) officially met..

Denielle Maillot and Nick Grady share a moment close to home at Marysville Falls. —Photo by Cassidy Shankowsky, Cranbrook Photo.

Waiting (again) in Las Vegas

Denielle and Nick love to travel together. They have a whole list of places to see. If they can’t get on a plane, they hop in the car for road trips, camping, and fishing. For Denielle’s birthday, Nick booked them a long weekend in Las Vegas.

They were set to return home on Sunday morning. So on Saturday, “I honestly was feeling pretty bummed he clearly wasn't going to propose,” said Denielle. “I do remember he was awfully clumsy that day.”

Denielle teased Nick for his clumsiness, and they carried on their full day of activities. In between the excitement, Nick told Denielle to choose a restaurant for dinner. “So we searched around MGM until I found the most romantic one I could find.” They sat down for dinner at Emeril’s at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Floating on their weekend vacation, they filled their romantic dinner with conversations about their relationship and their love for each other. Nick took the lead in telling Denielle how much she means to him. “This is where it gets to be a bit of a blur,” said Denielle.

“Suddenly, he was down on one knee!” Shocked, Denielle asked if Nick was serious before saying yes. “It was one of the most amazing feelings I've ever felt in my life!” The waiting game was officially over.

Denielle and Nick waited years to meet, so it only made sense that Nick waited until their last full day on vacation to propose. What’s a few more days, right?

Their wedding is planned for July 2018 and Bull River Guest Ranch, “and we couldn’t be more excited!” Continuing on their travels, Denielle and Nick hope to make it to Ireland for their honeymoon.

Tell us about the ring. What does it look like?

Nick chose a stunning white and rose gold ring with a double diamond band and sparkling centre diamond. “He could not have picked out a better ring that suited me more!” Denielle said. “He is always asked if he had help picking it out because he did a damn good job. He couldn't have picked out a more perfect ring for me!”