We met in 2016, about six months after Mel moved to St. Pete from St. Louis. She had just started a job at Seahags Bar & Grill, and on her very first training shift, she was paired with none other than David. The Seahags crew often hung out after work, and it wasn’t long before Mel and David bonded, especially after discovering they share the same birthday, August 14th (Leo twins!). Not long after, David asked if he could take Mel to her first Tampa Bay Lightning game if he got her shift covered. The Lightning just so happened to be playing her favorite hockey team, the St. Louis Blues. They went, had a blast, and realized it was not only Valentine’s Day but also their “half birthdays.” That night, David jokingly asked if that made Mel his Valentine. From there, things took off. Within a few weeks, they were going on dates all around Tampa Bay. By early March, they were officially a couple. Fun fact: their wedding date—March 1, 2026—will mark exactly 10 years together, as well as Mel's MawMaw's 89th birthday. A couple of years later, they moved in together with their good friend (and now lovely officiant!), Logan Zoiti. In October 2023, while traveling through Italy with David’s parents and Uncle Freddy, David proposed. The trip took them from Rome to the Amalfi Coast and finally to Sicily, where David’s grandparents were from. After a perfect day of swimming to a nearby island, indulging in amazing Italian food, and taking a well-earned siesta, David proposed on a quiet beach near their hotel, just the two of them. It was the second-to-last night of the trip, and Mel was convinced it wasn’t happening (LOL). They celebrated that night with his parents, and the next evening, they enjoyed a spontaneous engagement dinner with their Italian family. It was intimate, emotional, and unforgettable. They spent their first year of engagement simply enjoying the moment. And then… hurricane season hit. So planning took a little longer than expected, but now the date is set, and they’re all in. Let the countdown begin! 🥂