Wedding Photographer Makes Bold Prediction on TikTok — 'I'll Be Married by Next Year' — and It Comes True (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Darian Kaia TikTok.Photo:Darian Kaia/Tiktok

Darian Kaia/Tiktok

Only days into the bet, Kaia matched with a man named John Chelini, who was a custom home builder at the time. Their initial connection was rocky, with Kaia ghosting Chelini a few times due to her fear of getting hurt. However, Chelini’s persistence eventually won her over. “Something about him was so simple and peaceful,” Kaia recalls.

The couple eventually met face-to-face on Jan. 18, affirming her proclamation. “I remember I hugged him and at that moment I was like: ‘I am going to marry this guy,’ ” Kaia shares.

Darian Kaia and John Chelini.Courtesy of Darian Kaia

Courtesy of Darian Kaia

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Three months into dating, Chelini’s commitment to Kaia became more apparent when he secretly ordered her dream engagement ring. During a photo shoot in Laguna Beach, Calif., Kaia spotted a unique double-stone ring. Without her knowledge, Chelini emailed the designer while Kaia was in the store, asking about the ring she liked.

“He literally ordered my ring three months into dating while I was in the store,” Kaia reveals. “He was just like, ‘I’m marrying her.’ ” The ring was personalized with a blue stone to represent Kaia’s love for the ocean.

As their relationship progressed, the pair moved in together and decided to set their wedding date a year from the day they met in person. However, Kaia’s grandmother, who has brain cancer, expressed doubt about attending their planned wedding — so they moved the ceremony up to the same date Kaia made her marriage prediction.

Darian Kaia’s grandmother praying over Darian and John Chelini.Courtesy of Darian Kaia

Kaia calls her grandmother “my absolute best friend, my entire world,” adding, “the only thing I have ever seen with my wedding is having her there.”

“I’m in the middle of planning a wedding [and] the one person who I want to be there just point blank said, ‘I’m ready for my promotion to heaven.’ That’s how she said it. In that moment I looked at John and I was like, ‘We have to set up a wedding tomorrow.’ ”

Their actual wedding is set for Jan. 18, 2025 — exactly one year from the day they first met. As the pair gear up to celebrate their love in front of their friends and family, Kaia attributes her faith in God to the love she unexpectedly found after losing a bet.

“God’s hands have always been part of our relationship,” she says. “I spent four-and-a-half years building my independence. When the right person comes, they don’t diminish your strength — they complement it.”

source: people.com