We're getting married!

Melissa and Andrew first met on a blind date in April 2017 after connecting through the Bumble App. Their instant connection led them both to lose track of time. So much so, in fact, that Melissa ended the date with several dozen texts from close friends panicked because they had not heard from her about how the date was going. Andrew had no missed texts from his friends because they apparently did not care what happened to him. They continued carrying that connection over to many more dates, including a Vietnamese wedding reception held in a Chinese restaurant in which Andrew masterfully karaoke ‘I Want It That Way’ with his friends, before finally committing to a relationship with each other. Andrew figured that if Melissa was still interested in him after that performance then he needed to make the relationship official.

After several incredible years of dating, Andrew was certain that Melissa was indeed “the one” and he shouldn’t waste any more time. Andrew needed to propose to Melissa, and he needed it to be a proposal that matched how special they made each other feel. Getting the ring was easy. Melissa had practically told Andrew the exact ring she wanted. The hard part was figuring out the “how”. Plan A: After racking his brain and meeting with a few close friends to workshop some ideas he came up with the perfect plan. Melissa and Andrew love cooking together, so what better way to propose than during a special private cooking class with their closest friends around? After a lot of research into finding the right class and more hard work aligning schedules for friends Andrew finally had the class set up. Now he just needed to get Melissa there and have it remain a surprise. Melissa’s friends casually floated to her they wanted to take a couples cooking class and they had a day and class picked. Of course, Melissa was non-committal because why should it be that easy? After what felt like all kinds of efforts Melissa casually told her friends she could not make this class because her work was sending her to DC for a meeting that day. Plan B: Luckily for Andrew, he and Melissa were going to Florida to visit Melissa’s incredible grandparents, Lee and Madelene Weinberger. Andrew snuck (sneaked?) the ring into his luggage and when they arrived in Florida he asked Melissa’s Grandpop Lee if he could help. Lee instantly knew exactly where to take them. On their last full evening visiting, they all went to a quiet beach together under the guise of taking scenic photos, one of Lee’s favorite hobbies, where Andrew was finally able to drop to one knee and ask Melissa to marry him. Melissa and Andrew will forever cherish the photos and being able to share that moment with Melissa’s grandparents.