We definitely remember being in Oliver Twist together when Marisa was in sixth grade and Christopher was in eighth. Be sure to check out our gallery for our first official picture together (hint: Christopher is the little boy in the background checking out Marisa's awesome 'fit)

At the start of 2020, Marisa saw a Facebook post from Christopher where he essentially said "you know how we all have social media crushes, you kind of know them but mostly crush on them through social media. If I had written a song about you would you want to know..." Marisa immediately called her sister Gia and said "Chris Stump has a crush on me." She told her how cocky that was, but Marisa felt it in her gut. Within a couple of days he'd been convinced by his friends to share the song. He posted it and Marisa was now 98% sure it was about her. Marisa's name is pronounced like Theresa, and in the song Christopher pronounced it Marissa, but Marisa figured it was a pretty sure thing. Alas, it was her song. He messaged her and asked to send her a letter, and Marisa told him she wouldn't give him her address in case he was crazy and showed up on her doorstep. Within a few weeks of chatting, she gave in. He sent her a love letter, typed on his 1930s typewriter and sealed with a Venetian wax seal, complete with his initials. She sent back a handwritten response, with a yellow painted heart on the seal (not everyone has a wax seal available...). A few letters later, Marisa sent back a recording of herself singing along to the song. At the time, Marisa was living in Fort Lauderdale, FL and Christopher was in the Burlington, VT area where Marisa had actually lived previously (they both grew up in a little town called Fairport, NY). Marisa told him she'd be in town visiting friends and they could grab coffee, though secretly she was purely planning the trip to see if he was worth continuing to pursue.

When Christopher picked her up for their date, which he insisted on at least being a lunch if she wouldn't give him dinner, Marisa discovered he'd spent the entire previous day building an ice castle igloo on the lake, complete with an arched window, a built-in fireplace, candle shelves, and a wine chiller - all made out of ice and snow! He had brought a grill, and cooked hot food on a freezing February day in Vermont. He had blankets and cozy socks and curated the most magical first date Marisa had ever heard of, let alone partaken in. By the end of the date, the two were head over heels for each other. It's not every day you meet a man who would build you an ice castle, after all...

Christopher got down on one knee and proposed to Marisa with her grandmother's ring in Marisa's favorite Italian city - Florence. He had the Airbnb filled with yellow daisies upon arrival, a nod to Marisa's favorite show, Gilmore Girls. We're so excited to celebrate this next chapter in our lives with you. See you in Asheville (okay, okay, Weaverville)!