In 1991, Mark’s hard work at Channel 6 in Columbus earned him a .50 raise so he was pulling down $6.00 an hour when a new intern was hired from Ohio State. While she caught his eye (especially when she wore the tan and white striped slacks), she had no interest in the news editor who tried to impress her with his vast array of Browns and OU sweatshirts. They worked together daily while producing the 6am and Noon shows and a real friendship was formed. Legend has it that Mark was a bit smitten and so was Celina, just not with him. He thought she was the coolest chick ever. She thought he was a nice guy who was way too into sports and, of course, she was right. They both recall a conversation where Celina confided that she wanted to be a news anchor, but no news anchor had curly hair like hers. Mark assured her there was one, Roseanne Rosanadana. They were never more than friends, but they did go to a movie once. For her it was just meeting a friend for a movie. It’s safe to say that he probably did some sit-ups before the movie and wore extra cologne. Mark then left for Channel 10 and eventually returned home to Cleveland. Celina spent the next 18 years trying to make Mark jealous by getting married and having kids (Reminder: this is Mark’s version. Definitely not hers!).

June, 2013: Facebook, a social media website intended to reconnect people before it started ruining the world, did what it was supposed to do and reconnected two longtime friends. Mark and his buddy, Adam, were heading to Columbus to meet their friend Chris for a Filter concert and Mark contacted multiple friends he hadn’t seen in years, including Celina. She texted Mark to say she had arrived because he had her ticket. He went to the turnstiles to get her in and, as the tale goes, “it all changed at the gate.” The “smittenness” returned for him. She swears it didn’t because it was never “there” for her. However, Adam and Chris both recall seeing the combo “hair flip and laugh” maneuver from Celina multiple times during the night and they read that as a sign. A few weeks later, they attended an Eagles concert and that friendship became much more. Eventually, Mark deactivated his Match.com profile.

Seven years passed with countless trips back-and-forth between Columbus and Cleveland. That’s when Mark decided to take his talents to central Ohio and accepted a job in Gahanna which is the district where Celina's daughters attend school. That’s definitely when s#it got real! He hadn’t told Celina that a job was open or that he even applied, so it’s safe to say she was a tad bit surprised when he casually told her “I got offered a job at Lincoln High School today.” The expression on her face was priceless, but to this day Mark is not 100% sure if it was a look of happiness, shock, or regret. For the sake of this story, let’s assume it was happiness. Thirteen months later, a day after her birthday while sitting on a park bench he bought her, he said those magical words, “You and the girls are the best thing to ever happen to me, along with the BBT” (baseball trip) and the dream that Celina never knew she had 22 years earlier finally came true.

Without a prior discussion, Celina suggested that the wedding be in Cleveland so Mark could have it in his hometown. She even said, “We should do it on a weekend when the Indians are home” and Mark agreed while wearing a look on his face similar to the double-heart-eyes Emoji. The search began, but it was a short one. The moment they discussed Bay Arts and looked up photos online, they instantly knew that’s where it would be. Good vibe. Outdoors. Not too stuffy. Across from Lake Erie. Close to Lisa so she can do a lot of the work. Perfect.