Griffin and Melissa met in Los Angeles at officiant Gaby Sanchez's pool party. They talked about their shared love of anime, and Melissa bemoaned Griffin's failure to watch Avatar: The Last Airbender. Despite this, there was a spark neither could deny.

Cloves (a mix of Carver and Sloves) started dating in January of 2022. Their first date was at the San Diego Zoo. Melissa taught Griffin that flamingos are pink because they eat shrimp! Griffin could barely believe it, but soon learned that Melissa is always right. Their second date was more hardcore. They attended a System of a Down concert where their hearts beat along to the screamo music, and for each other.

Amidst hours of conversation and glasses of wine in Temecula, Griffin popped the question on their third date: "Will you be my girlfriend?" Little did these lovebirds know, he would eventually ask a much bigger question and their wedding would take place in the same fated city.

Life is stranger than fiction. Melissa's dad, Dave, and Griffin's best man, Aaron, both had weddings in Italy at the same time. So they had an incredibly remote, yet quite convenient date in Florence, filled with hot weather, cannolis, and the David (what a big boi).

Despite the excruciating distance between Garden Grove and La Mesa (sometimes 3 hours of tear inducing traffic), a year had gone by before they knew it. Days filled with the board game Wingspan, crosswords, tennis, boba, Danganronpa, seeing friends, and meeting each other's families, all culminating in their one year anniversary at the happiest place on earth—Wings n Things (jk, Disneyland).

Cloves took their first vacation together of their own volition, solely to visit the first ever Salt n Straw location in Portland, Oregon (also to see great friends and take cute cherry blossom pics).

A historic date in Cloves history. Griffin moves in with Melissa in La Mesa. It was bliss, except...

A rude awakening: a budding relationship threatened by the discovery that Griffin makes his oatmeal WRONG (according to Melissa). The battle over breakfast continues, but Griffin and Melissa found living together even better than they had hoped.

Spending holidays together and with loved ones fill Melissa and Griffin with joy. After watching too much Great British Baking Show (is such a thing really possible?), Cloves endeavored to make their own homemade dinner rolls. Just like their relationship, the rolls turned out amazing, worthy of a Paul Hollywood handshake.

On a rainy, rainy day, Griffin asked Melissa to go for a lovely walk by Lake Cuyamaca in Julian, California. Melissa suspected that Griffin would propose (he did not-so-subtly hint that she should get her nails done when she asked) and as Griffin had learned on their first zoo date, Melissa is always right. Melissa said yes in a heartbeat, and both were greeted by great friends, Morgan and KiMi, who had been hiding behind the bushes in the pouring rain. Thanks again. It was all worth it.