We met at Kansas State University in the Food Science Institute. We both were teaching assistants for the same professor, teaching food processing. We began dating after about 2 months of teaching labs together every week, and the rest is history.

Austin proposed on the beach while we were on vacation in Galveston, TX with our friends (and members of our wedding party!) Josh and Emily. After we all went to dinner, we went to the beach. Austin had planned to propose on the pier, but Melanie decided she didn't want to pay for entry (with no idea what he had planned!) We walked on the beach instead, and that was where he popped the question!