We met in the fall of 2022 while studying abroad in Genoa, Italy through Clemson’s architecture program. Even though we were both architecture majors, we had somehow never crossed paths before living together at the Villa on Via Piaggio. What started as friendship and shared adventures slowly turned into something so much more. One night in the villa garden, while listening to our friends laughing inside, we sat together talking about our dreams, fears, and hopes for the future. In that quiet moment, we both realized we could picture a life together.

On October 7, 2022, during a trip to Lake Como, Jacob asked Melissa to be his girlfriend. Shortly after, we had our very first official date in Paris, a city that will always feel a little magical to us. From then on, we were inseparable. We spent our days exploring new cities, catching trains and flights together, and making memories that felt almost too beautiful to be real. Somewhere between all of those adventures, we fell deeply in love. When we returned home to the United States, we realized what we had found in Italy was not just a fairytale, it was forever.

After graduation, Jacob moved to Charleston while Melissa stayed in Greenville, and even with the distance, our relationship only grew stronger. We spent almost every other weekend traveling back and forth to see each other, making the miles between us feel a little smaller each time. In March 2024, Melissa moved in with Jacob and brought along her tuxedo cat, Zuko, to start our little home. Then in February 2025, we welcomed our foster cat Franny, who quickly became part of the family too. Creating a home together and building our everyday life has been one of the sweetest adventures of all.

In October 2025, during a family trip to the Cayman Islands, a simple moment of taking photos together before dinner along the Caribbean Ocean turned into the most unforgettable moment of our lives. In the middle of it all, Jacob got down on one knee and asked Melissa to marry him. Completely surprised and overwhelmed with emotion, Melissa dropped to her knees and embraced him as tears filled her eyes and she said yes. Through every adventure, every quiet moment, and every season of life, we have learned that home is not a place, it is simply being together.