It was August of 2018 and Melissa was on the verge of taking (yet another) hiatus from online dating when an interesting message appeared in her inbox, “If you were a famous rapper, who would you write a diss track about and why?”. It was a pleasant departure from the generic and uninspired messages she usually received, so she was instantly intrigued and eager to reply to the (very 😉) cute guy that sent it. Her reply is not important… all you need to know is that one message led to another, and another, and yet another. Melissa and the handsome and funny guy that had messaged her, Jon, eventually exchanged phone numbers; a week later they met up in person and went on their first official date. She was thrilled to discover that their connection in person was even stronger than it was over the phone, and that they had more than an obsession with cats in common. It was a great first date and it would prove to be the first of many memorable nights had throughout the course of their relationship. The weeks went by and Melissa very quickly realized she had found her one and only… her forever love… her soulmate. “I love you’s” were soon exchanged, families were later introduced, and eventually belongings were merged under a shared household. Before she knew it, three years had passed… …and one day, she unexpectedly found Jon on one knee in front of her, an absolutely stunning ring in hand, asking her to marry him. She was only too happy to tell him, “Yes, of course!!!” And that brings us to present day, where Jon and Melissa have been fervently planning their wedding while still glowing with excitement and happiness over their engagement. They are very eager to begin this new chapter of their lives together and can’t wait to say their “I Do’s” in front of all of their friends and loved ones!

Jon knew deep down that his life had changed forever when he saw Melissa for the first time, but he couldn’t say he was completely surprised since she had been totally amazing leading up to that point. Not only was she a fellow cat-lover and certifiably gorgeous, she also didn’t immediately block him after his corny, unironic opening line about diss tracks (for the record, her response was “How do you know I’m not already a famous rapper?”). She was witty, charming, and beautiful right from the start, but her walk struck Jon like a bolt of lightning. She walked with the grace and confidence of someone who owns the room, as opposed to Jon who walks like a newborn foal wearing clown shoes. Things kept getting better as the night went on - they had a lovely stroll through the Mall of America’s Underwater World, played games at the arcade, got some Cinnabon, and ended the night with a truly magical and earth shattering first kiss. For once in his life he was right - after meeting Melissa, Jon’s life changed from black and white to color. Their journey together consisted of lots of giggles, cuddles, smooches, and trips across the country. After three years, and laugh #36,824, Jon decided it was well past time to ask Melissa to marry him and make him the happiest man in the world. So with their big trip to Glacier National Park coming up, everyone and their mother (including Jon’s mother) was expecting Melissa to come back from the mountains of Montana with a ring on her hand...

...Unfortunately no one gave Jon the memo. Montana came and went, and Melissa’s hand was still like the WWE after 2004: No Rock. The following month Jon’s mom reached out to schedule their Fun of the Month, an ongoing series of fun and activities as part of her Christmas present the previous year. This month’s activity was a surprise, so Jon and Melissa both wore blindfolds while his mom and dad drove them to the undisclosed location. Mom and Dad then lead them to an elevator up an undetermined number of flights, down a hall (Jon bumping into walls along the way, with all the poise of a Mr. Potato Head on roller skates), and opened a door. After they set up, Mom told them to take off their blindfolds at the exact same moment a nearby speaker started playing Melissa and Jon’s song (“All My Life” by 90’s R&B legends K-Ci and JoJo). The timing was suspicious to say the least. Melissa looked around and noticed the flower arrangements, rose petals, tea lights, the view of the Mississippi River, and pictures of the adorable couple spread across the room. And in front of her was her boyfriend, the sneaky sneak behind the scheme, kneeling in front of her with a ring in his hand. After what felt like an eternity to Jon (actual time: 0.7 seconds), Melissa said yes. And thus started an exciting new chapter in both of their lives.