How They Met

While Melanie and Miguel's families have known each other since they were kids, the couple officially met at the Penn State Hazleton Library. In between classes, Miguel noticed Melanie from across the room but struggled to find the right words to say to re-introduce himself. One day, while he was dealing with seasonal allergies, Miguel walked up to Melanie's table at the library to ask for some tissues. Little did he know this was the opportunity he was looking for to finally speak with her!

Melanie, on the other hand, couldn't believe that Miguel finally noticed her, as she would catch herself looking at her longtime crush through her laptop screen every chance she could.

From that moment on, the two were inseparable as they went on countless dates and adventures together.

The Proposal

Miguel has always been a romantic and having already planned to propose on their fifth anniversary together, he knew the day needed to be extra special.

On May 8, 2023, the couple decided to have a beautiful picnic at Locust Lake State Park - where Melanie gifted Miguel a scrapbook of all the memories they made together during their relationship. Shortly after, Miguel played a song he wrote for Melanie and then took her to Penn State Hazleton, where it all started. While Melanie's family hid from her to record footage of the moment, Miguel formally asked for her hand in marriage.

Favorite Memories:

While Melanie and Miguel share countless memories, here are some of their favorites:

1. May 2018: The First Kiss

The couple shared their first kiss on a rainy day at the local community park. Melanie always dreamed of sharing a kiss in the rain - making this a moment she'll forever cherish!

2. July 2021: The Disney World Trip

This was the couple's first out-of-state trip together and without their families. The two love all things Disney so to experience the parks together was a dream come true - they even got to make lightsabers!

3. May 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023: All of their Anniversaries

Melanie and Miguel try to make every anniversary as special as possible so it's hard to only chose one! Regardless, each anniversary is their special day to show their love for one another.

4. May 2019, February 2023, and May 2023: Melanie and Miguel take on Broadway

Melanie is a huge fan of Broadway plays/musicals. Together, the couple have seen Hamilton (May 2019), The Phantom of the Opera (Feb 2023), and Moulin Rouge (May 2023). They look forward to experiencing many more shows together in the future!

5. July 2018 Their first I Love You

While there has been love between the couple since they first saw each other, Melanie and Miguel exchanged their first "I love you" a few months after they started dating.