Sam and Megan's modern day romance began as a millennial romance only could- via the dating app, Bumble. This meant Megan had to make the first move. Latching onto one of Sam's photos that appeared to be somewhat familiar, she started with the ever classic opening line, "Was that picture taken in Stockholm?". It wasn't, but it didn't matter. This question would lead love, but not for a little while. The conversation flowed, electronically at first, as Sam was determined to break the mold of perpetually substandard dates by proceeding to text Megan back and forth for nearly three months, thereby getting rid of the "interview process" modern dating had become. Eventually Megan grew impatient and, finally fed up with the distance asked, "Why don't you stop by High Point when you're visiting your family for once?" Their first date lasted over 12 hours, was anything but an interview, and fostered in both a powerful suspicion there was something unique and special about this budding romance.

Sam and Megan dated for several months before the unlikelihood of their continued relationship took root. Sam was taking a new job in Florida, and Megan was not. Soon enough, however, the separation proved more untenable than the distance. Finding that they were still talking constantly and very much involved in each others' thoughts and lives, the tides again began to shift. True to Hollywood form, the distance was great, but the bonds were greater. The couple remained long distance as Megan finished her studies as a physician assistant in High Point, NC and Sam moved up the East Coast, settling in New York City as he began a graduate studies program at Columbia University. After packing Megan into a Grand Caravan in September 2017, the two were finally able to call New York home.

The planning started in early January. After spending Christmas with Meg's parents and his mom, Sam went down to North Carolina to poll his family on their thoughts. "I'm ready", he told them. Sam's family was ecstatic. Megan epitomizes caring, she's a transcendent listener, and complements Sam in a way he had never experienced before. The planning began. Without so much as triggering Meg's curiosity or suspicion (quite a feat in itself), Sam had managed to buy a ring and hide it at his friend Michael's apartment, ask Megan's father for her hand in marriage, contact her mother, his family, and some of Meg's closest friends to ask them to fly to Manhattan the weekend of the engagement. Originally Sam had plans to propose on Michael's rooftop, but rain the day-of shuttered those plans and Sam improvised. After covertly discussing plans with family and friends, Sam sent a text telling Megan that Michael had received a promotion and that his wife Leah was throwing him a surprise dinner at a restaurant located in Central Park that night. Waiting for Megan to get home, Sam asked Megan to "freshen-up, but quickly". People were standing in the cold, and Megan is wont to take her time when getting ready. Finally, they set out to walk to the restaurant. Along the way, Sam suggested that they walk by the Bethesda Fountain and Terrace, an area they had walked through a few weeks earlier. As they approached the nearly empty terrace, music could be heard echoing from inside the tiled walls. Their surroundings came into focus and Megan caught sight of a small, very blonde boy running across the terrace. This boy looked strikingly similar to Sam's nephew and appeared to be accompanied by several familiar faces. As Meg was processing the scene, Sam turned to her and said, "I think it's safe to say now that there's no surprise dinner." Then, with the help of his always charming nephew, the two of them asked Megan if she would marry Sam. The answer was a resounding yes.