Sam and Melissa met in October of 2013 (October 26, 2013 to be exact). We asked them to tell us about this very special and eventful first meeting, their super sweet proposal (champagne, rose petals, etc.), and how they stay sane during wedding planning.
How did the two of you meet?
Sam was at the Ohio State vs. Penn State game with his Dad (Dan), sister and bridesmaid Stacy, and groomsman Elliott. Little did he know that Melissa and her friend Darryl were sitting just a few sections over. Darryl was one of Sam’s coworkers (and also a Nittany Lion fan) but didn’t know that Sam was going to the game.
In the fourth quarter, with the Bucks up 63-7, Sam went to use the restroom at the same time Darryl suggested he and Melissa leave the brutal beatdown of a game. Upon hearing “Sam! Sam!” from a distance, Sam recognized a very depressed Darryl and her cute friend. Sam convinced Darryl and Melissa to sit with them for the remainder of the game.
After the game, the Steinberg Persuasion kicked into another gear, as all three Steinbergs convinced Melissa and Darryl to come to the bars instead of going home. At the bars, Melissa hit it off with everyone! She showed Dan the quickest way to get to the front of the beer line (to which he was extremely impressed) and even skipped down High St. with him.
She meshed so well with Stacy that she gave her the nickname GC (“Game Changer”). She also hit it off with Elliott so well that Sam thought Mel was more interested in Elliott! But later that night he got a text from his future wife, and the rest is history!
Sara Campbell Photography
Give us the details! When? Where? How?
Sam planned an excellent surprise weekend in Hocking Hills. Melissa thought we were going for groomsman Nate’s birthday party with another couple. When we got down to our cabin, Melissa walked in to a candle lit path, roses, champagne, and an iPad playing a photo montage. After the proposal, matron of honor Mallory, her husband Tom, Benji, Nate, Lisa, Jon and Sarah all came running up the stairs to congratulate and surprise Melissa. The rest of the weekend was one of the best weekends of our lives!
Marriage isn’t about the wedding. Marriage is about building upon your past experiences, cherishing your future together, creating new life-long memories, starting a family, and hopefully living happily ever after!
What has been your favorite experience planning the wedding?
Cupcake tasting!
How do you stay sane under the pressures of wedding planning?
Understanding that even though this is very expensive and very stressful, it will be one of the best weekends of our lives and we should only have to do it once!
What is your favorite part of using Joy for your wedding?
It is very user-friendly to the point a basic user can feel like a professional web-site designer.
What piece of advice would you give couples to ensure that they use Joy to its fullest potential?
Use the support chat if you can’t figure something out. The joy team usually responds very quickly and can help with almost anything.
At Joy we believe that even though a wedding lasts a day, joy lasts forever. What does that mean to you?
Marriage isn’t about the wedding. Marriage is about building upon your past experiences, cherishing your future together, creating new life-long memories, starting a family, and hopefully living happily ever after!
Sara Campbell Photography
