Many wonder if their date to the ever-revered Date Night could someday be their future spouse. One might wonder: Do people ever actually end up dating their Date Night date? Or even marrying them?

Rumor has it, some do.

In preparation for this semester’s Date Night, Scroll reporter Emily Ormston asked the famous BYU-I Students (Rexburg) Facebook page if anyone had their first date at Date Night and if that turned out to be their “fate night.” She received numerous responses from couples who said they did, in fact, marry their Date Night dates.

One of the couples to respond was Alyson and Brigham Powelson.

Alyson Powelson is a senior studying elementary education, and her husband, Brigham Powelson, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in public policy and administration in April.

First Met on a Group Date

Back in 2024, the couple first met on a group date at the dunes, where they were paired off with other people.

"We met the week before Date Night, I think, on a group date where we were not each other's dates," Alyson Powelson said. "We honestly barely talked to each other on that date."

Alyson Powelson, being a freshly returned missionary, said she felt she should follow the many nudges to go to Date Night.

"I was fresh off the mission. I'd been home from my mission for like a month at that point," Alyson Powelson said. "And everybody kept telling ever us, like our professors and our bishop and President Meredith at devotional was like, 'Go to Date Night.' And I was a newly returned, very obedient missionary, and so I was like, 'I guess I have to go to Date Night.'"

Now following as instucted, Alyson Powelson needed a date. She talked to her roommate who was friends with Brigham Powelson.

"She knew him, and she actually really encouraged it," Alyson Powelson said. "She was like, 'You should totally ask him out.' And I was not the kind of person to like ask people out on dates. But again, fresh off the mission, I had some boldness that I don't think I would have otherwise had. And so I sent him a text, and I asked him if he'd like to go to date night with me, and he said yes."

Date Night, May 2024

The big night came. Brigham walked across the street from the men’s Cedars apartments to the women’s Cedars and picked Alyson up. They ate at Righteous Slice and walked to Date Night.

The night opened with a devotional from Elder Clark G. Gilbert, past president of BYU-Idaho. Alyson recalled Elder Gilbert giving some dating advice.

"He gave some advice about how nobody's perfect," Alyson Powelson said. "So you need to have high standards, but be okay with the fact that no one's perfect. And I leaned over to Brigham, and I said, 'Except for me, I am perfect,' which, again, so not something I would normally say or do."

Alyson Powelson said they were just able to joke with each other and get along really well from the very beginning, which made the night of many activities more memorable.

After the Date

After the night had ended, Alyson and Brigham Powelson planned to watch a movie at Alyson's apartment, but the living room was full. So, the two of them decided to work on homework and hung out for a couple of hours more.

After parting ways that night, both of them said they each looked for reasons to see each other again.

"The northern lights were out that night as well," Brigham Powelson said. "I got home and realized that, and I thought, 'Oh, should I invite Allie to go and watch those or not?' Then I remembered that she was going to Utah the next day, and so I respectfully was like, 'I better not keep her out all night.'"

Alyson had noticed she had a small thing of bubbles that Brigham had accidentally left behind.

The couple began officially dating in June 2024 and were engaged during Thanksgiving break that same year. They married in August 2025 and at their send off had everybody blow bubbles as they exited.

What is some advice for freshmen who are just learning about Date Night for the first time?

Brigham emphasized the importance of communication on the first date.

"Whoever you go on a date with, prioritize talking and communication," Brigham Powelson said. "If this is a long-term relationship, you'll benefit. If you're just going to Date Night to go to Date Night, talking to people is a really important skill to develop. You'll learn lots about the other person, and you'll have more fun. And maybe it'll go somewhere because you're able to talk."

Alyson, advised to take it easy.

"For us, Date Night was where we met our spouse, but it's okay if that's not it," Alyson Powelson said. "I would still encourage everyone to do it, and it's just not that deep. It's one date. Take advantage of the opportunity to date people, even if they don't end up being your person."

The couple also reflected on the people they dated before meeting each other. They expressed appreciation for those experiences.

"We've both dated people before we met each other," Alyson Powelson said. "And even though those people weren't the people that we ended up with, we're grateful for the experiences and the learning opportunities that those were."

Alyson also noted that dates don't need to be expensive or complicated, the just need to have purpose behind them.

"Go on cheap dates, man! I mean, Date Night is free, so I see no reason not to take advantage of it," Alyson Powelson said. "But then, outside of that, I call everything a date, and it's cheesy. But as long as it's a meaningful time where you're together, it can be a date."

Taking Advantage of Date Night

So, if you’re thinking about asking someone to this semester’s Date Night, go for it!

Maybe don’t expect it to create a relationship that ends in marriage, but, as the Powelsons said, take it easy, chat with the person you’re with and appreciate the date for what it is.

After all, a date can add value to your dating life, whether it leads to a relationship, a lesson, or, if you’re Alyson and Brigham, fate.