We are so excited to celebrate & share our journey with you!

At 10:10 a.m. on Monday, August 18th, 2014, Alex sat down in the seat right in front of Melanie (in the front row) of his first college class — Calculus II. Surrounded by nerds, Melanie had a silly, but gut instinct, that THIS nerd was going to be very important to her (which Alex doesn’t believe actually happened). Alex (supposedly unknowingly) held the door open for Melanie after class and they separately made the 15 minute trek from Cheek Hall to Strong Hall for their next class together. These two little (mostly) straight-A try-hards were late to class together, and that’s what jumpstarted their friendship.

Unfortunately, this day wasn’t as memorable for Alex & Melanie. But close to 12:00 a.m. on January 31st, sitting in the first booth at the Steak’n’Shake on Sunshine and Glenstone, Alex attempted to ask Melanie to be his official girlfriend without actually using the word girlfriend. Melanie replied by saying that she wanted to date someone who was her best friend — Alex thought this was a no. So Melanie was confused and said “it’s not like we have to sign a contract or anything” we just decide to be together and we will. So Melanie pretty much told Alex he was her boyfriend — and she has been telling him what to do ever since.

After talking for over a month and dating for several weeks, Alex had still yet to make his first move. After a typical night of board games with the boys, Alex walked Melanie home to the Gamma Phi Beta house where the stood chatting for WAY TOO LONG on the front porch. Finally, freezing cold in February and ready for bed, Melanie simply said "you can kiss me and leave now." Alex laughed and said "you're perfect." (Gross). *insert kiss here*

After 3 months abroad in South Africa, Melanie finally began her 24 hours of flight time home. After flight delays and a 12 hour flight with broken air conditioning, Melanie was not only cranky, exhausted, and anxious to be home -- but reeeally needed a shower. After the next 10 hours on a plane, Melanie received a text from Alex who was to be waiting at the St. Louis airport to drive her home. He had found his doppelganger at the Dave & Buster's next to the airport. (Why did Alex miraculously decide to go to STL 4 hours in advance to hang at a Dave & Buster's?) Melanie and her family were laughing so hard at this photo that she just had to send it to her sister-in-law Arlyssa who had suspiciously stopped sharing her location 1 hour before Alex sent the picture....Suspicion aroused, Melanie checked her parents locations which were quite uncharacteristically disabled and finally drew the conclusion that something was awry. At 2:45p.m. Melanie made a note in her phone detailing the strange events and immortalizing her suspicions that all of the family were in STL waiting to surprise her and also noting how disgusting she was from 2 days of traveling with no shower. Upon arrival at the STL airport, Alex greeted Melanie after 3 months in front of the Airport Chapel with a long overdue bearhug. Melanie picked up her bags to leave and Alex says "You forgot something." Melanie's travel brain could not compute what was missing because all of her belongings were in her hands. That is when Alex scrambled to get a ring box out of his pocket and got down on one knee with Melanie's great-great-grandmother's ring to pop the question. This would be romantic had Melanie not immediately started saying "No, no, no, get up" as an instinctual anxiety reaction. Regardless, Alex asked Melanie to marry him and she said yes. And (to no one's surprise) the entire family was hiding around the corner. *tears*

On the morning of December 4th, Alex and Melanie had a giddy brunch and bubbles at Gailey's Breakfast Café before heading to the historic courthouse in downtown Springfield. Judge Ron Carrier officiated a beautiful private ceremony in the grand foyer complete with a (giant) Christmas tree. Alex cried the most, but he wasn't the only one! Alex insisted on spending the rest of the day visiting the places where he and Melanie had spent most of their time throughout their relationship to take photos together -- Cheek Hall & Strong Hall where they met, their booth at Steak'n'Shake, the Gamma Phi Beta house, and of course their own house together. The entire day was whimsical and silly just being a couple -- with an extra hint of fun since no one knew yet!