Marc and Melissa met in the Spring of 2017 through mutual friends in the Seattle area. After a few months of being friends and running into each other on occasion, Marc finally asked Melissa out. After just a few dates, the two ironically were in New Orleans at the same time, where they made it official! Melissa took to Marc very quickly - although it took her Frenchie, Ziggy. some time to accept that he was no longer the only man in his mom's life. Throughout dating, Marc and Melissa shared a passion for travel and made it a point to explore the world, travelling to Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, London, Mexico and Amsterdam, all within the first year. In November 2018, they bought a house together in the Greenwood neighborhood of Seattle.

Continuing their travels, Melissa and Marc planned a trip together in Hawaii over the 4th of July. Melissa had mentioned for quite some time that they should get engaged, but in effort to keep her guessing, Marc denied any plans of the proposal. The two had planned dinner in Honolulu on July 4th and Marc suggested walking the beach beforehand to find the best spot to see the fireworks later. As they were leaving the hotel, it started pouring down rain - but Marc was still insistent on walking the beach and taking a quick pic. After a few quick pictures, Marc pulled the ring out of his pocket and had the biggest grin on his face. He was only able to say "Babe, you know I love you..." before Melissa burst into tears and hugged him. The proposal was perfect!