2005 Ryan and Mark met in 7th grade at Francis Bradley Middle School. They had several classes together and even rode the same school bus. For the first few months, neither one noticed the other. But once Mark caught ear of Ryan's laugh, and Ryan noticed Mark's handsome smile that gleamed when he got to singing early in the mornings, that all changed. Often they were called out by name in Mrs. Peck's English class for talking too much. Sadly, at the end of their 7th-grade year, Mark moved to Mooresville. Without a car, any distance feels like a million miles away to a preteen. Fortunately for them, social media avenues really began to take off, so Ryan and Mark kept tabs on each other from afar. 2017 Twelve years later, when they were 24, the two rekindled. It all started when Ryan decided to delete her Facebook. A few days later, while on his way to a family reunion in Nebraska, Mark noticed her profile was gone. He decided to find her on Snapchat and sent a friend request. When she saw his name, she immediately felt butterflies. Coincidently, a few days later, Ryan took her first trip to Raleigh to enjoy a concert with friends and posted the trip on Snapchat. Shocked, Mark sent her a message asking, "What are you doing in my city when I'm not there?" From then it was on! Once they began talking, the two never stopped. The next month, they made arrangements for Ryan to visit Mark in Raleigh for her birthday. As soon as they saw each other, they knew it was meant to be.

On Ryan’s birthday, Mark made reservations for On the Nines, one of their favorite places for brunch. When they arrived, he told her they had some time before being sat, so they could take a walk down to the pond. As they looked out on the water, Mark told her to try to find the turtles. She looked for a bit and turned around to see Mark down on one knee. He asked for her hand, and Ryan screamed, “YES”! After a few moments cherishing the excitement of their engagement, they were met with loud cheers. Mark had invited both of their families, and they were out on the golf course to watch the entire proposal. That afternoon, Ryan and Mark celebrated their engagement, as well as Ryan and her twin sister Mellanee's birthdays. It was a day they will never forget.