Sometimes, romance doesn’t find you in candlelit dinners—it chases you across open plains during the storm of a lifetime. That’s exactly how Paige Berdomas and Bryce Shelton celebrated their love: with an EF-3 tornado swirling behind them as Bryce got down on one knee and popped the question.
Born from Shared Passion
Paige and Bryce aren’t your typical couple. They bond not over wine nights or cozy movie marathons, but by pursuing the path of destruction itself—tracking tornadoes. Their lives revolve around the excitement of chasing storms, documenting twisters, and capturing mother nature’s most dramatic moments. They met through mutual interests in extreme weather and storm-chasing videos, first as friends. Over time, and after previous relationships ended, their friendship deepened into something more intimate.
By the time they started dating, they were already a team—traveling together, pushing adrenaline limits, and marvelling at destruction’s raw power. Their shared obsession with storms isn’t just a hobby; it defines their connection.
The Proposal: A Stormy Memory to Last a Lifetime
This Sunday afternoon in South Dakota—already a hotspot for violent weather—they found themselves standing before the spectacle of an EF-3 tornado. The sky swirled with ominous energy, and the ground trembled under the storm’s roar. It was against this dramatic backdrop that Bryce knelt down and asked Paige to marry him.
“This is the most stunning tornado I have ever witnessed,” Paige told People magazine later, still glowing with excitement. With goggles in place and wind howling behind her, she said “yes.” The moment was captured perfectly by photographer-friend Brandon Copic, who jumped into action seconds after the proposal.
Later that day, Paige shared a photo on social media—a snapshot of the two of them smiling in front of a storm so powerful it seemed to crown their engagement. In her post she said, “How on earth could this day ever be topped? Experiencing this in South Dakota with the love of my life and now FIANCÉ as he proposed in the most epic way imaginable. Can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you, @BryceShelton01.”
A Perfectly Stormy Setting
South Dakota holds special meaning for both Paige and Bryce—it’s where some of their most memorable chases happened. Bryce revealed he had been planning the proposal for nearly five months, silently holding on to the ring. Even though the two were never apart for long, he managed to keep the engagement ring a secret until that fateful moment.
“I’ve been waiting 18 weeks for the ideal opportunity,” he told People. “I wanted it in South Dakota, with a photogenic tornado behind us. It’s our favorite place, and everything just fell into place perfectly.”
Their adventurous spirits, shared experiences, and mutual trust all converged at that very moment when a towering vortex became the most dramatic decor for a life-changing question.
From Friendship to Forever
Paige and Bryce first crossed paths at storm-chasing events and on collaborative YouTube content. Like many storm chasers, they found companionship in the intensity of their work—driving tense hours into the heart of wicked weather to capture footage most people only see in documentaries.
After spending countless hours together in chase vehicles, living rooms, and remote fields, they realized they had something deeper than friendship. Their relationship evolved through many thunderous nights on the radar, laughter after narrow escapes, and mutual admiration for each other’s bravery and dedication.
Once dating, they continued to chase storms as a duo—learning from each other’s techniques, celebrating escapades, and capturing shared victories. In many ways, their connection mirrors the unpredictability of the storms they chase: powerful, intense, and beyond the ordinary.
A Day to Remember
On that extraordinary Sunday, their chase partner Brandon Copic inadvertently became a wedding photographer. After Bryce’s proposal, Brandon called for a proper celebratory portrait: “We’ve got to get a better picture,” he said. Moments later, their post-engagement shot surfaced—Paige in an elated embrace, Bryce beaming, and a massive tornado brewing a few hundred feet away.
“Later on, the most symmetric tornado ever appeared,” Paige recalled. “We were actually under it when it touched down. Brandon had to circle us so he could capture a cleaner shot.”
That image soon went viral—storm lovers and romantics alike celebrated the extraordinary union of love and mayhem. People cheered for the pair who dared to blend their passions into one unforgettable moment.
What This Tells Us About Love—and Life
The story of Paige and Bryce isn’t just a flashy headline; it’s a reminder that love doesn’t always follow the rules—sometimes it thrives in the chaos. For them, a date night under a sunset would not have felt genuine. Their bond is forged in adrenaline, trust, and enduring a storm side by side—literally.
By choosing a tornado as their witness, they said something profound: love is not calm; it is wild, epic, and occasionally terrifying. But when two people stand together, holding hands through the wind, the rush is worth it.
Moving Forward: A Future Fuelled by Adventure
Now engaged, Paige and Bryce plan to continue their storm-chasing escapades—this time as fiancés and, eventually, as a married couple. They dream of capturing footage that goes beyond personal thrill, expanding into hurricane awareness, tornado safety advocacy, and documenting the beauty and danger of severe weather for fans around the world.
Their proposal has become an iconic moment in storm-chasing culture—a story that will surely be retold on anniversaries and shared in storm documentaries for years to come.
Takeaways from a Tornado Proposal
- Love Doesn’t Follow a Script
Paige and Bryce show us that romance doesn’t have to be predictable—it can be extraordinary, just like the whirlwind that framed their engagement. - Shared Passion Forms Deep Bonds
Their unique relationship was built around a shared obsession—storm chasing. It’s a potent reminder that love often finds its footing in what two people deeply care about together. - Trust in the Chaos
Standing next to an EF-3 tornado isn’t for everyone. But their unwavering trust in each other—and their training—held strong. That level of trust is at the core of every successful relationship. - Life’s Best Moments Are Unexpected
No one expects to get engaged under a tornado. Yet that raw, unplanned vulnerability created a memory that’ll never fade—reminding us that life’s surprises can be magical.
Conclusion
When a tornado proposal happens, it forces us to reconsider everything we thought about love—its places, forms, and conditions. Paige Berdomas and Bryce Shelton turned a weather-chasing adventure into a lifelong commitment, making history in a way both epic and heartfelt.
And for the rest of us? It proves that if your love is strong enough to weather anything—even nature’s most intense storms—then maybe the perfect romantic setting is wherever you and your person stand together.
Beta feature
Beta feature