We can't wait to celebrate with you!

Through the magic of fate (and the internet), Zach and Melissa met by chance on November 6, 2015, spent hours talking through the night, and by sunrise knew that they were onto something special. The miles were not enough to deter these two and after too many flights, hotels, goodbyes, and Skype dates, Melissa decided to call Zach her future and Washington her home. A year and a half of long-distance love feels like a lifetime ago, now that these two cannot imagine a day without each other. After surviving graduate school (Zach!), long Seattle commutes (Melissa), and COVID (the world), there is nothing that they cannot face and conquer together. They know it, their friends and family know it, and now, the government will officially know it - these two are inseparable.

Melissa and Zach were ready for 2020 to be their year! Zach had finished with grad school and Melissa had found a wonderful job that kept her close to home. They were looking forward to Farmers' Markets, Rainiers games, a visit to the Oregon coast with the Bergman crew, and so much more time to enjoy getting to live life together! Zach had planned a weekend in the mountains to relax, see somewhere new and, unbeknownst to Melissa, propose. As the weekend approached, what went from a "bad new flu" to "that Corona thing" to a reason to close the schools for 6 weeks (Ha!) seemed like a bad omen. The night before the trip, with very conflicted feelings, Melissa decided that it just didn't feel smart to be out and about and Zach decided to change his plans. In their living room, with no hint of what was about to happen, Zach got down on one knee, asked her the question she had been waiting to hear for almost as long as she had known him, and gave her the beautiful ring he had just had delivered (thanks, Mike!) that afternoon. He's always been one too excited to keep surprises for long. Melissa does wish that she wasn't in pajamas when it happened, but regrets NOTHING about saying "yes!"