In October 2018, at a magical place called James Madison University, Grant and Melanie met at a rugby party. Neither one of us intended on attending this party, but Forest Hills has a way of drawing you there (if you know, you know). With the help of the best wingman ever, Marcellus, we instantly connected. Grant laughs at me to this day for wearing sweats to our first date at Greenberry’s Coffee Co. But, I wouldn’t change a thing, as that date sparked the beginning of our love story.

Throughout the next three years, we faced the challenges of long-distance and COVID, but our relationship only grew. We travelled together, went to lots of concerts, and spent time with each other’s families. In 2021, we finally finished our long-distance phase and spent a year living just down the road from each other in NoVa (plenty of nights at Spider Kelly’s and late-night Bronx Pizza with our friends).

Fast forward to the summer of 2022, when we made the trek across the country to the beautiful state of Colorado. Shortly after settling in, we expanded our family by adopting our playful puppy, Sammy. From hiking trails to playing fetch at the park to cozy nights in, Sammy has added so much joy to our lives. We loved Colorado so much we even became homeowners in May of 2023!

Through it all, we’ve been fortunate to surround ourselves with friends and family. Although we are far away from the east coast, we’re lucky to have so many people to see on visits to VA. We’ve also made wonderful friends in Colorado to make new memories with, including camping trips, hiking, skiing, exploring Denver, and tons of game nights.

During one particular mountain adventure in July of 2024, Grant proposed to Melanie. We were camping in Buena Vista, CO amidst the gorgeous Collegiate Peaks, when Grant asked me to come and take pictures with him. I knew something was up - he never asks to take pics! Sure enough, when I walked over to him, he dropped to one knee and popped the question. I was so ecstatic I forgot to answer! We celebrated surrounded by friends in the most beautiful place.

Fun fact: I saw 19 shooting stars that night, but no one believes me!

Our love story continues to unfold, and we can’t wait to see where the future takes us. Thank you for being part of our journey as we continue our adventure together! We can’t wait for 8/28/2025!