Mel and I were introduced back in 2019 by my sister Logan, despite both our best efforts to avoid it. Mel had been Logan's hair stylist for some time, and Logan chose Mel to come down to Florida for her wedding and do her hair. With Mel coming to Florida, there was no way we could jointly avoid each other for any longer.

We hit it off and had our first date at Doc Fords, a place we frequent any time we visit Florida. Logan and Zach got married, and Mel and I have been together ever since.

This past February, on a trip to Turks and Caicos, I asked Mel to marry me. This was our second trip to Turks, a place we enjoy very much, so it was a fitting place to take the leap.

During wedding planning, Mel and I both came to the realization that we did not want a traditional wedding. We wanted to make it something truly special for the both us, as this would be the start of the rest of our lives...

So, we decided to elope! We spent a few months planning a European trip, and more importantly, a Roman wedding.

We departed for Paris on Friday, December 19th, but not before having a small legal ceremony at our dinner table. We were joined by our parents, our nephew Bryce, and Bri (Mel's sister) to see us say "I do". Special shoutout to Bri for making sure Mel didn't have to go in front of a judge...

After the ceremony, we were off to Europe. We proceeded to miss our connecting flight in Paris, despite sprinting across CDG like animals, but caught the next flight and arrived in Rome.

Our wedding day was the following day on Sunday, December 21st, at Hotel Locarno. Mel found a lovely woman, by the name of Daria, who coordinated the entire operation. From photos, to makeup, and entire ceremony, Daria knocked it out of the park. We will be forever grateful to her, Alena (photographer), and Andrea (Officiant) for making our day special. They felt just like family to us.

After the ceremony, we had a lovely dinner and drinks to kick off our new life as husband and wife.. and also to start our Euro Trip / Honeymoon.

We proceeded to spend a few more days in Rome to take in all that the Eternal City had to offer. The Vatican, the Colosseum, the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, etc. were all breathtaking. Not to mention, the food was to die for.

After Rome, we traveled to Florence. It was in Florence where we spent Christmas, had our fill of wine and Bistecca alla Fiorentina, and of course saw the statue of David. Our final stop in Italy was Milan, which turned out to be a lot more fun than just shopping.

After conquering Italy, we made our way into Switzerland. First stop was Lucerne (Luzern), which was a highlight of trip. Ice skating, fondue, and even a trip up to Mt. Pilatus made us feel right at home in the Swiss Alps. After Lucerne, we made a quick stop in Zurich, before catching the train to the last stop of our trip; Paris.

Paris was a magical place to end the trip. Between the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and incredible amount of chocolate and baked goods, we made sure to end things on a high note. Also, a wonderful place to ring in the New Year!

We both couldn't have asked for a better adventure to start off our marriage. All in all, we hit 6 cities in 3 countries, but it felt like so much more! While we missed all of you on our big day, Mel and I wouldn't change a thing. It was a once-in-a-lifetime trip that we will look back on fondly for the rest of our days.

Please check out the photos and don't hesitate to reach out!

Love,

Luke & Mel