PAGE 120 X METROPOLITAN WEDDINGS X WINTER / SPRING 2022
WRITTEN BY | JULIE GOOD PHOTOGRAPHED BY | JESSICA YAHN PHOTOGRAPHY
�a facebook fairytale�
In the digital era , happily ever after can be found where and when you least expect it . Sometimes that can mean at the click of a button . For Melissa Hornbostel and Tyler Sharp , their whirlwind romance began with a friend request on Facebook . The two noticed they had several mutual friends , and since they couldn ’ t deny the intrigue and attraction they felt as they eyed each other from behind their screens , they decided to become friends on the socializing platform . Melissa wanted to connect instantly , but nerves kept her hesitant . Luckily enough Tyler took the initiative and sent her a message quickly after they friended one another . Despite Melissa ’ s most valiant attempts to play like she was hard-to-get , the two hit it off from the get-go and agreed to a lunch date soon after .
Even when the nerves set in before their date arrived , in large part because Melissa had just lost her voice the day before the two were to meet , when Melissa and Tyler met in person it truly was love at first sight . Their connection was strong and their chemistry was stronger , and what was meant to be a lunch date turned into an all-day affair with neither one of them wanting their perfect day together to end . From the moment they met on , the soon-to-be Sharps were simply inseparable .
Almost as fast as they fell in love , Tyler popped the question to Melissa six months later . Tyler put a lot of thought and planning into the proposal . Under the guise of a couple ’ s photoshoot as a favor to a friend who was expanding his portfolio , Tyler asked Melissa to be his bride in a beautifully landscaped section of Nathaniel Greene Park – which so happened to be one of the many places they visited on their first date . Overjoyed and entirely surprised , Melissa couldn ’ t wait to say ‘ yes ’ and become Mrs . Sharp .
After their proposal , the two decided on a long engagement . Though they updated their Facebook relationship status to “ engaged ” in November of 2019 , their wedding wasn ’ t scheduled until May of 2021 . Looking back on their choice to remain fiancés for a good stretch of time , Melissa notes how thankful she is for that choice . With the uncertainty and challenges that arose throughout 2020 due to the global pandemic , Melissa knows that things unfolded exactly as they were meant to be .
Amidst an ever-changing world and a mountain of unknowns because of Covid , Melissa got to work planning her wedding . Melissa orchestrated and organized the couple ’ s dream wedding . Keeping it minimal and classic with a black and white color palate plus natural greenery , their ideal spring nuptials took shape before their eyes . They chose their venue – The Atrium , in Branson , which was a brand-new event space . After finding the perfect dress at not one , but two bridal boutiques , Melissa was ready to say “ I do ” to her groom .
As their day drew near , everything came together almost as effortlessly as Tyler and Melissa ’ s romance did over a year prior . However the day before they were to wed , a mishap occurred – Tyler ’ s suit didn ’ t fit . Rushed and anxious to find a replacement , the couple crossed their fingers that a substitute suit would make it to them overnight . Thankfully enough it did , and Melissa now recounts that the suit that arrived just in the nick of time was an even better option than their original plan . You could say that Melissa truly was crazy about a " Sharp " dressed man .
May 2021 came about and it was time for their wedding . What began on the internet had transformed into a beautiful love story between two people destined to be together . In keeping the sentiment of their romance throughout their ceremony with hand-written vows , her mother and grandmother ’ s wedding rings as a delicate accent to her bridal bouquet , Melissa and Tyler became man and wife . It was unbeknownst to them when they friended a stranger over a year before their big day that they were also starting their love affair . Love can truly find you in the most unexpected of places . For Tyler and Melissa , that just so happened to be on the internet . An instant connection at the click of a button , Melissa and Tyler Sharp are now husband and wife , setting out on the rest of their forever and embracing what lies ahead of them throughout their Facebook Fairytale . XmB