CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Saturday’s sunrise over the Corpus Christi Bay marked the beginning of a new chapter for two local teachers, Dallas and Denise, who got engaged atop the newly opened Harbor Bridge on Saturday, August 2, in what may be the first proposal on the iconic structure.
“I was able to surprise Denise completely,” Dallas said. “We’re feeling amazing.”
The proposal unfolded during a quiet evening walk along the bridge’s pedestrian pathway. Denise had been mentioning for weeks how she wanted to explore the walkway, so Dallas, with an engagement ring tucked discreetly into his pocket, suggested a sunrise stroll on what would be their last free Saturday before the new school year.
“He took me completely off guard,” Denise said. “I’m just so appreciative and happy.”
Dallas described the moment as the pathway began to clear after sunrise, leaving the couple alone at the top of the bridge’s viewing platform.
“I distracted her with the binoculars up there, and then pulled out the ring,” Dallas recalled. “I just told her how happy she’d made me every day for the last year. It’s been about a year and two months and how I wanted her to keep making her happy for the rest of my life.”
The location was chosen with care. Dallas wanted a spot that reflected Denise’s connection to her father, with many of their memories centered around fishing trips and time spent on the water. But he also wanted it to be easily accessible.
“I was looking for piers and stuff, but I wanted it to be public land,” he said. “That way, if she ever wants to visit in the future, it’s easy. That bridge is always going to be open, that walkway will always be there.”
The symbolic value of the bridge didn’t fully hit the couple until afterward.
“Somebody commented on my [social media] post saying, ‘Here’s to crossing life’s bridges together,’ and I thought, ‘Wow, that’s really metaphorical and nice,’” said Denise.
The thoughtfulness of the moment sealed the deal for her.
“He remembered I wanted to go [and walk the bridge pathway], and that alone made me feel really loved,” she said. “Even before I knew what was coming, I told him thank you for remembering something that mattered to me. So I think it was already a sign to him that he’d picked the right place.”
The couple, both music educators with Corpus Christi ISD, met through their work.
“I knew I needed someone who understood this life,” Dallas said. “And she really does.”
Though the engagement is still fresh, one question keeps coming up.
“Oh my God, we’ve already been getting the ‘When’s the wedding?’ question so much,” Denise laughed. “We know we want about a year-long engagement, but we haven’t even started looking at dates or venues yet. Right now, we’re just enjoying being fiancés.”
Still, the couple is open to suggestions, and even a little community support.
“We’re hoping people might reach out and let us know what’s out there for wedding planning,” Denise added. “If they want to promote their business or help us out, we’d love to hear from them.”
