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Home · Weddings

Bridal Bliss: A Love Connection

When Ryan moved to Dafina's hometown of Atlanta, a mutual friend asked her to meet him at a coffee shop and show him around town. He wound up learning the way to her heart and she found her future husband.
Bridal Bliss: A Love Connection
Erik Umphery Photography
By Charli Penn · Updated October 28, 2020

Bride: Dafina Nya Memberr, 33, Co-owner of Sunny’s Hair & Wigs

Groom: Ryan Smith, 41, Evening Express Anchor on HLN

Married On: October 6, 2012

Wedding Location: Ritz Carlton, Atlanta

Wedding Style: Romantic Elegance

A Love Connection
It’s true what they say about love: Sometimes it really is just around the corner and waiting for you when you least expect it. Such was the the case for this couple. When popular evening news anchor Ryan moved to Dafina’s hometown of Atlanta, a mutual friend thought that she’d be the perfect person to show him around town and introduce him to some new people. They agreed to meet at a local coffee shop one afternoon. Dafina, a hair expert, wasn’t looking for love at all. In fact, she didn’t suspect a guy like Ryan would even be single. “I felt that if he were actually available, my friend would have mentioned that to me beforehand,” she says. “She kept emphasizing that she just wanted us to meet on a friendly level. So, when I showed up, I was very low key.” The pair hit it off famously, and on that day, a new love story was born.

Stop In the Name of Love
Dafina and Ryan were on vacation in Los Angeles to attend a close friend’s wedding. The night before, they made plans to have a romantic dinner in Malibu. On the way there, Ryan was acting a bit odd, but Dafina hadn’t a clue what he had planned for her that evening. On the way to Malibu, while they rode in the car, Ryan suggested that they stop at the Getty Villa Museum. Since he’s not so into art, Dafina really began to wonder what was up with him. “We walked all around the Villa, until finally, we were on a balcony overlooking the reflecting pool which had a view of the ocean and sunset,” she tells us. “It was right then that he got down on one knee and took the ring out.” Dafina began to belt out joyful screams. She playfully hit his arm so hard in disbelief that her ring nearly fell over the balcony. That’s when she snapped out of it and realized she was officially engaged to her dream guy. In October, they were married in a romantic, Old Hollywood themed ceremony at Atlanta’s beautiful Ritz Carlton hotel. Share their love!

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