But life was to have a different path for Melissa. So at the age of 17, she became a model.
According to one of her previous photographers, Melissa’s “drive and ambition are outstanding.” So, it’s perhaps not surprising to learn that she seemingly had great success almost at once.
Yes, Melissa became a model for Sports Illustrated magazine. “Sports Illustrated has been a dream of mine since I first started,” Melissa told the Stow Sentry newspaper in 2008.
Fortunately for her, then, the photos bagged the model the title of “Rookie of the Year.”
But wherever and whenever the pair met, they of course fell in love and eventually tied the knot. The ceremony itself took place in Cleveland’s Cuyahoga County Courthouse in March 2016.
And according to someone who was there, the wedding proved to be a “beautiful day.”
And fortunately for us, there were cameras around to capture the magical moment. So what exactly happened?
Well, in a video posted to YouTube on March 15, 2016, the happy couple are seen on an empty dance floor as the DJ announces the first dance.
For those of you who don’t know, Mark Wills is an award-winning country artist with a career spanning more than two decades. He’s had a couple of number one hits in the country chart, but “Like There’s No Yesterday” was not one of them.
In fact, the song was never released as a single, so it must have been quite a personal choice for Melissa and Brad.
The DJ says, “Well, we do have a keyboard , so we’re gonna do a live version.” Seconds later, a man starts playing the keyboard, before another man hops on stage with a guitar.
Melissa and Brad subsequently pick up where they left off with their swaying embrace as the music plays.
Upon seeing the surprise wedding guest, Melissa screams and runs away. But don’t worry: it’s a happy scream!
You see, the man performing “Like There’s No Yesterday” for her is none other than Mark Wills himself. Naturally, then, the overwhelmed bride begins to cry with joy.
When the song finally comes to an end, Melissa lets go of her new husband and goes over to, presumably, thank Wills. Although she does seem to hang on to his hand for just a little too long while they exchange words.
Poor Brad can do nothing more than watch from the sidelines.
And one day, perhaps, little Landon will be able to look back on the time his parents became viral stars.
After all, the video of Mark Wills gatecrashing their wedding has been viewed on YouTube over 21 million times.