For years, Danielle Graham rubbed shoulders with celebrities at the Oscars, The Cannes Film Festival, TIFF and more as an eTalk host. Now, she’s joining forces with entertainment producer (and real-life bestie and Queen West neighbour) Caleigh Rykiss for pop culture podcast In Three, where they’ll be giving listeners an inside scoop on the biggest celebrity headlines. But first, Danielle gives us the scoop on how she and her husband, Randall, travelled across the world to find love in their own backyard.
How they met
We met in 2011 in Ghana, Africa, on a work assignment. We worked for the same company in two different departments and had never crossed paths in the office. There is nothing subtle about Randall, and I was very intrigued by him. We hung out one night solo in Ghana at the end of the trip and made a plan to see each other again back home. When we returned to work, we learned our offices were right on top of each other. I was on the second floor, and Randall was on the third. We’d been 67 steps away from each other for years.
The first date
For our first date, we watched the Academy Awards at Randall’s, and he cooked dinner. He made beef ribs, roasted sweet potatoes and Ceasar salad. It’s his signature dinner when he’s trying to make an impression, and it worked. The Academy Awards always held a special place in our hearts because of that, and then for many years after, I would go to be a part of the red carpet coverage. In 2016, I was pregnant with our first daughter at the Oscars. The following years, Randall would send me pictures of her watching me on TV.
The proposal
We’d been dating for about 2 and a half years, and we’d talked about getting married. Neither of us had any doubt we’d found our person. But around spring of 2013, people started asking me, “When are you getting engaged?” And I just kept saying, “Ask Randall!” We bought a cottage together about a year into dating, and I figured it would happen there. Later on in the summer we went for a swim, just the two of us. We decided to race around the swim platform for fun. Once we were out of the water on the deck, we were looking out at the lake, and that’s when it happened. Once I saw Randall down on one knee, I kept saying, “no, no!” because my hair was all wet, and I was in total shock. Turns out Randall had the ring in an inside zipper pocket of his bathing suit!
The wedding
We got married the next summer, on a Wednesday, July 30, 2014. We chose that date because Randall said it was a date he’d remember. Spoiler: neither of us remember it year after year. We both wanted a small wedding, and we knew we wanted it at our cottage. So that’s what we did. Twenty-five people. We got married in the exact spot Randall proposed on. When we sold that cottage, we took those deck boards with us, and we plan to do something with them one day. I have a big Italian family on my mom’s side, so nine days after our cottage wedding, my parents threw us a big reception in their backyard with all my family and more of our friends. It was one of those parties people still talk about to this day.
The kids
We do have kids! Two incredible little girls. Beatrix, 8, and Marigold, 5.
How have you found and built community in your Toronto neighbourhood?
I know everyone says this, but I really believe we have the best neighbourhood. The neighbours here look out for each other. We help one another out with shovelling, or bringing the garbages bins in or picking up packages to avoid porch pirates. I think there is a belief that downtown living can be impersonal. But in fact I find it’s the complete opposite. Living in closer quarters means we all understand the importance of being a good neighbour. The kindness of our neighbourhood is especially evident when my kids set up their lemonade stand in the summer to raise money for the Terry Fox Foundation. People go out of their way to support. They stop their cars and park illegally, run out, grab a glass and encourage the girls. We had a woman circle back share her entrepreneurial story. People without cash walk to bank machines and come back. The pedal pub always stops. One gentleman gave the girls $100 for a single glass of lemonade!
Tell us about any other relationships that play an important role in your life.
If you looked at my phone you’d see I speak to Caleigh (co-host of our podcast, In Three) more than anyone else. We met as colleagues many years ago. That turned into a friendship. And then about 10 years ago we became next-door neighbours. We literally share a property line. Now we get to work together, share ideas, think big and shoot for the stars as a team. It’s such a rewarding partnership rooted in deep respect and trust in one another. I feel so lucky to be on this journey with her.
The secret to success
We are very different people in many ways. I am a Type A person, and Randall is a creative genius! I think our success comes from the fact that, while we are different in a lot of ways, our values have always been aligned. How we move through the world, how we treat others and the things we prioritize as parents are completely the same. We are so connected that we often joke that we can put thoughts into each other’s minds.
The future together
Randall’s beard will be more grey. We’ll still be watching Seinfeld reruns. The girls will hopefully still want to hang with us.
