Ben and Melinda met in December 2015 at the Twitter Christmas party at Giants Stadium (thanks Erin and Rob)! Melinda was perusing the snack table and enjoying some Mac & Cheese balls when Ben made his approach. Safe to say, they hit it off. Their first date was a few weeks later at Elephant Sushi - shout out to the volcano sushi roll, if you know, you know. They stayed out way past Melinda's bedtime on a "school night", so you know it was a good date. Ben and Melinda continued to date and fall in love over the next few years and many great meals in San Francisco. Fast forward to August 25, 2019, Ben surprised Melinda with the perfect date idea. The task was simple, each person was to collect the other's most favorite foods to bring to a picnic at Seven Sisters in Marin. The winner would be whoever purchased the most accurate representation of the other's ideal culinary treats. Melinda won the competition but little did she know, the biggest prize was still to come. Ben got down on one knee, said some very romantic things that aren't fully remembered, and Melinda said yes! This year, Ben and Melinda bought a home together in Pleasant Hill, California. So they now have a house divided (USC vs. Stanford) and spend most of their time at Costco or Home Depot. Even though Ben is originally from Texas and Melinda from Southern California, they are now a true Bay Area couple, Patagonia's and all. In their free time, they love to cook and try new restaurants. They're natural competitors and often take their adventurous spirits to the great outdoors for biking, hiking & running. In the times of COVID they've been venturing out for Cappuccino Wednesdays and riding their, now stationary, bikes together in their new home gym, aka the garage. In the years to come, they're looking forward to a lifetime of new explorations and traveling the world together.

Ben & Melinda were previously scheduled to be married on November 7, 2020. Due to coronavirus, the venue has cancelled all weddings for the remainder of the year. Please stay tuned for rescheduling updates. Ben and Melinda are looking forward to celebrating with everyone once it is safe to be on the dance floor together all night long.