We're Getting Married!

It was a cold, winter night in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Mel had flown into NYC the night before with a friend and after a day of touristing around the city, ended up in a crowded German beer hall. Bay, who happened to live in Williamsburg, stopped in to celebrate a friend's birthday. And then by pure serendipity, found himself standing next to Mel at the bar to order a drink. Conversations ensued and Mel ended the evening by inviting him to meet her at the Museum of Natural History the following morning. Needless to say, he showed up. The pair continued chatting even after Mel flew home to Florida, exchanging texts daily. Just a few weeks later, Bay flew down to accompany Mel to The Florida Aquarium's annual "Aqua Eve" NYE event... and just a month later, she flew up to NYC for Valentine's Day. It was after that trip they decided to make their relationship official and committed to dating long-distance for a year before Mel eventually moved up to NYC.

After talking about going on an overseas vacation for a couple years, Bay surprised Mel on Christmas Day, 2017, with two first class tickets to London for that following April. The plan was to spend a few days in London, take the ferry to Normandy to spend a few days enjoying the history and French countryside before finally training to Paris. But that wasn't the only thing Bay had planned. On the second evening of the trip, Mel and Bay headed to Chez Bruce, a Michelin-starred restaurant just outside of London. Upon arrival, they opted for the chef’s tasting menu with wine pairing and spent the next three hours savoring the food and chatting through plans for the rest of their trip. After the last bite of dessert was eaten (by Mel), the manager escorted them to a private room on the 2nd floor. They walked up the steps and rounded the corner into a candlelit room with a large bouquet of roses on one table. Mel cried, immediately. Bay popped the question and after saying YES, Mel cried some more. After making phone calls to immediate family members, Mel and Bay enjoyed their engagement privately for the next week before they ended their trip in Paris.