This couple was used to getting attention on social media, since they had a lot of followers and were quite popular. But one of their photos was different and it went viral, spreading like wildfire.
They were confused, but things got clear as soon as people spoke up. What made Wendy Joseph and Dan Hennessey’s story so special?
The Famous Couple
Wendy Joseph and Dan Hennessey are a great couple and they’ve gathered quite the number of followers on their Instagram accounts. But one photo got so popular, it even became the topic of various news publications’ articles.
The two had no idea why, so they began reading through the comments. The answer was right under their noses!
Who Are Wendy and Dan?
The two weren’t always famous on the Internet. There was a time in their past when social media was not their priority, but it was the exact thing that got them together over and over again…
Their story begins in 2006, and it’s the best thing we’ve heard so far.
Two Young Students
Das was only 18, studying Exercise Science, and Wendy was 17, graduating from high school and looking forwards to make a career in public healthcare. Dan was your regular young adult, eager to make friends, party and go out.
However, he had no idea that he was going to cross paths with his soul mate!
Joining Facebook
It was during that time when he heard about Facebook, which was used by many college students to find friends or dates. So Dan use it to make more friends, and that’s how he saw a girl named Daphne in a friend’s list and sent her a message.
Wendy’s Profile
Seeing he’s not getting a reply, he looked for more friends in Daphne’s friends list. He then saw Wendy’s profile and browsing through her photos, he was smitten with her. He decided to send her a message.
Wendy wasn’t going to answer to some stranger’s message, so she talked to Daphne about it and she had some things to say about that guy…
Not Answering To Him
Wendy decided not to answer Dan, learning that he also texted other girls. But weeks later, he sent her another message. She was curious about him and checked out his profile, where she learned they had some friends in common.
So, she felt more secure and sent him back a message.
Online Friends
The two became online friends, but Dan wanted to meet Wendy, so he invited her and her friends to a party at his house. But there was one problem Dan had to solve fast!
There Was No Party
The thing is there was no party at all! He didn’t plan a party, thinking she’ll never even accept the invitation. Little did he know Wendy will say yes!
He began to call his friends and put together some kind of party… Now all they had to do was wait for Wendy to show up.
Planning a Party on Short Notice
When Wendy said yes, Dan rushed to get some friends and together, they were able to pull of a party. They went through a lot of trouble, just so that Dan could have a reason to see Wendy! They met and hit it off, talking, dancing and drinking.
But what happened next? Surely there had to be more for the two of them to become a couple…
Staying Friends
Wendy was not ready to have a boyfriend, as she had recently broken up with her ex. Meanwhile, Dan was really loving the party lifestyle and his college life. The two decided to stay friends. But nearly half a year later, they became very close and realized they should try things out as a couple.
They had no idea a couple’s life would be riddled with this much trouble though. You see, one day, Wendy came to a terrifying conclusion…
Having Her Doubts
As time passed, Wendy began wondering if she really had everything she ever wished for. She was loved, but didn’t feel like her life was going into the right direction. She continued her studies while being with Dan. Meanwhile, her boyfriend kept partying and socializing. And one day, she saw a message in Dan’s social media app. It was from a girl.
She Was Different
Not opening the message first, Wendy felt like her whole world was spinning. She was struggling to get her Master’s degree and continue on that path, but was Dan having second thoughts about them as a couple. His Facebook friend list kept growing bigger and bigger, and Wendy was suspicious. Was he looking for something different?
Left Behind
Since Wendy studied a lot, Dan began going out without her. He was meeting new people while she was focusing on her future career. Dan might have loved her and might have matured, but he was still into partying. And now this message was a warning bell. Wendy decided to open it, hoping it was only paranoia…
It’s Wrong
She saw that Dan didn’t log out of his Facebook account, and that message from a girl she didn’t know was making Wendy anxious. She knew it wasn’t right to read it, but she also knew she couldn’t be at peace if she left it that way. So, curiosity got the better of her and she opened it, thinking she would learn something about Dan’s adventurous side.
Wendy Was Insecure
She opened the message and looked at the entire conversation with that female friend, but nothing incriminated Dan. Wendy couldn’t help herself and checked other messages as well. Dan had received many messages from women, but it was clear he wasn’t interested in them. However, all those women had something Wendy was missing, which made her extremely insecure.
Who Am I?
Being together since they were so young, seven years later, Wendy looked at her life with Dan and realized they were too dependent on each other. She realized she changed a lot in the past seven years and she was in an identity crisis.
She decided to tell Dan about it, before taking a painful decision.
Taking a Break
Wendy knew something had to be done about them, or they’d constantly bicker about Dan’s party lifestyle and Wendy’s studies. They didn’t have time to spend together and neither wanted to compromise. This exact moment takes us forward to their viral photo…
The Viral Photo on Instagram
Wendy couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw her photo with Dan gathered over 60,000 likes. Comments poured in from all over the world and the phone began ringing. Reporters were asking for exclusive interviews, and Wendy was overwhelmed. What was so unbelievable about that photo that became so controversial?
A Heartbreaking Decision
All those years ago, after Wendy felt like she had to do something, she decided to have a talk with Dan. It broke her heart to tell him she wanted to try live a life without him. She wanted to find out who she can become and it would only be possible without him be her side. The happy couple broke up and each of them started a new life.
Wendy had no idea her life would make her bump into Dan once again…
The Two Broke Up
It was heartbreaking for both of them, but Wendy had to try her hand at pursuing her interests. She was needy and insecure by Dan’s side and she was ready to pursue her goals. Little did she know that staying away from her soul mate was more difficult than she imagined!
Dan Didn’t Want to Give Up on Wendy
Dan couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He was not ready to let Wendy go, even though she left him. He knew she was the one, so he kept sending her messages for a year and a half. Dan hoped his persistence would again pay off, but Wendy kept her distance.
He Missed Wendy
Dan missed Wendy terribly, but soon realized she was right. She was better off alone, focusing on her Master’s Degree and becoming what she dreamed to. As for Dan, he also changed his lifestyle, which is what led him back to Wendy, cementing what would become the best relationship ever!
She Found Herself
Meanwhile, Wendy found herself once again. She began vlogging on YouTube, streaming beauty tutorials and advice for hairstyling. She is still active on her channel Wendy’s Curls if you want to check her out. Through her new hobby, she found herself, embraced her natural beauty and everyone loved her.
Then, her life would again change. Fate intervened once again!
A New Wendy
After months of not hearing from each other, Dan bumped into this beautiful strong woman Wendy was. She was so confident and Dan fell in love with her again. She had thrived while they were apart and Dan couldn’t think of anything else than getting her back.
Would she say yes?
Breaking Up, A New Beginning?
At first, Wendy broke up with Dan so she could discover herself, and she knew she took the right decision. She has become a YouTube star and she now has nearly 118,000 followers! Would she want to get back together with Dan, and if yes, will her life change again?
Was Dan the mature man that had finally grown out of that party-going lifestyle?
Dan Showed Up In Wendy’s Videos
One day, Dan appeared in some of Wendy’s videos and fans loved seeing them together, so the two started creating videos that would give others relationship advice or just talk about life as a couple. What was happening?
Famous on Instagram
Dan also has an Instagram account with around 37.7k followers, but Wendy was a lot more famous having been followed by 127,000 people. It was clear from their videos and photos that the two were now back together!
And here’s where the viral photo showed up on their Instagram accounts, and neither Dan nor Wendy were ready to be in the spotlight…
The 10-year Anniversary
It was December 2017 when Dan and Wendy celebrated their 10-year anniversary. They had no idea that their photo Wendy posted on Instagram will make them even more famous than before!!
The photo was a side-by-side picture, where on the left the pair had just started dating, and on the right they were together, 10 years later. It was a milestone they celebrated, but it exploded on Instagram and Facebook! Are you ready to see it?
The Viral Photo
The popular 10-year challenge is supposed to have people showing their 10-year apart photos online side-by-side. However, the challenge began a lot later than Wendy and Dan’s throwback photo.
Their post exploded for a different reason and in just a few days, it was liked by over 60,000 people. News outlets covered their story, showing everyone what made this photo so viral…
Aging in Reverse
While it’s great to see couples celebrate the years they’ve spent together, Wendy and Dan’s photos drew everyone’s attention because they looked younger in 2017 than in 2007. One person asked: “Do you both age in reverse?” Another one asked them “what fountain of youth are you drinking from?”
How did they manage to look so young 10 years later?
“What a Time to Be Alive”
In a long Instagram story, Dan shared a video with his and Wendy’s photos, revealing part of their break-up story: “that break up was the most amazing thing that ever happened to us and I can say with 100% confidence THE BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ME PERSONALLY.” He explained he needed to go through that dark period so that he’d have his sunshine now that they’re back together.
Walking Alongside Dan
“I am so incredibly grateful for this life and this amazing SOUL that has decided to walk alongside me on this journey. We are people just like you, not perfect or special. What is special however, is that we have decided to embark on this process of sharing our experiences regardless of what people think,” added Dan. And we cannot be happier about them sharing their life with us, since we saw a few more great news! The next photos speak for themselves.
The Transformation Behind the Photos
Both Wendy and Dan wanted to become better versions of themselves. As Wendy focused on her YouTube channel, she began fitness training. Meanwhile, Dan did the same, and once they got back together, they started posting tutorials on workout routines and nutrition.
But this was only the beginning!
True4You Fitness
The couple has founded a fitness coaching company called True4You Fitness where they advise clients on how to exercise and manage their nutrition. They also created a YouTube channel for that, and months after getting back together, they had one huge announcement to make!
A Holiday in Paris
When Dan and Wendy went to Paris in a holiday with their friends, Wendy was caught off guard! Dan got on one knee right in front of the Eiffel Tower and pulled out a diamond ring, asking Wendy to marry him!
She Said Yes!
Wendy said yes and the couple would continue their traveling around the world, in Thailand, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and more countries before returning home to plan their wedding!
After the wedding, they’d travel again.
The “Source of Love and Light”
In a post on Dan’s Instagram, he wrote about Wendy these sweet words:
“It’s amazing how you can spend nearly 11 years getting to know someone and wake up to them every day excited for the chance to know more. Even crazier is that it feels like we are just getting started and I’m more in love with you than I have ever been. Thank you for following your path and being a source of love and light for everyone who gets to meet you. I’m lucky and honored to have met you way back [..] and you are my heaven on earth."
A New Life
After the wedding and their honeymoon, Wendy and Dan moved to San Diego, California, where they take everything the beautiful weather offers: sun, water and surf!
They also share their fitness goals with the world on their Instagram and YouTube fitness pages for others to transform their lives like they did.
It Started With a Friend Request
And when you think it all started with a friend request and some messages! The couple’s transformation both physically and mentally is inspiring.
A Great Love Story
Wendy and Dan’s love story is unique and it is clear now that the couple that trains together stays together! We’re so curious to learn more about them in the next ten years!