Love: Weddings: Melanie Renee Pierce and Francisco Scott Echevarria

Melanie Renee Pierce and Francisco Scott Echevarria

June 25, 2016 in Philadelphia

Melanie could not look away.

"He was the most gorgeous man I've ever seen," she said, remembering the April 2008 birthday party at Pyramid Temple No. 1 where she first saw Francisco. "I had to talk to him. It was love at first sight."

As determined as she was to meet the man so joyfully dancing and singing to the music, she was also terrified. So Melanie sent her sister, Yvette, who had brought her to the party, as her dancing ambassador.

Francisco happily accepted a stranger into his dance circle.

Melanie cut in. "He turned around and it was me standing there!"

Francisco went with it. "We danced two or three songs, and then she asked me did I want to talk."

They stepped outside to introduce themselves properly. Melanie, who has lived in West Philadelphia her entire life and is now 33, is a professional cleaner and a jewelry and fashion designer. She holds a bachelor's degree from the Art Institute and works under the name Riani Milani. Francisco, born in West Philadelphia, raised in Camden, and living in South Philadelphia back then, is a special-education teacher at Universal Daroff Charter School by day and a mental health therapist at the Center for Autism in the evening. Now 32, he has a bachelor's in elementary education/special education and is working on his master's in autism spectrum disorder from Grand Canyon University. He's also a Mason and past master at Bethel Lodge 47.

Francisco really liked that Melanie made their meeting happen. "I always thought if a woman wants to know who you are, wants to be involved with you, you should make the effort," he said.

They exchanged numbers.

"I told my mom and my coworkers that I had met this gorgeous guy, and they all told me to call him," Melanie said. She made herself wait a day, nervously tapped in the digits, and heard a recorded message that the number was not in service.

Did Love at First Sight give her a fake number? "I was heartbroken," she said.

Two weeks and two days later, her phone rang.

"Hey, this is Francisco, the guy you met at the party. Are you still interested in talking to me?"

Francisco hadn't prioritized his phone bill. He got paid, it got paid, and "we've been talking every night since," he said.

Their first date: Iron Man, the movie, and a little falafel place next to the University City theater for dinner.

They saw many more movies together after that - both like a good horror flick, Melanie notes. But when she found out Finding Nemo is one of his favorites, Melanie knew she had found her person.

"I have an arm tattoo of Nemo, and 'Just keep swimming,' is my motto," she said. To her, and to him, the movie is all about not letting anyone tell you there's something you can't do.

Melanie's fight is one of the things that made Francisco fall in love with her. She has survived septic meningitis, and, more recently, a tumor was discovered in her pituitary gland. So far, she's good - doctors are monitoring it.

"Of course, I admired her beauty," Francisco said. "But I was more interested in her mind and how strong she has been in everything in her life."

In 2010, the couple had a son, Carlesio, now 6. When he was a year old, the family of three moved together to Southwest Philadelphia.

It was Christmas Eve 2012, and, as always, Francisco and Melanie took their moms, Genel and Patricia, out to dinner. At home afterward, Francisco put Carlesio to bed and put Iron Man into the DVD player. He and Melanie watched the movie, then Francisco excused himself for a moment and made a few preparations, and accidentally on purpose locked himself out of the bedroom, knowing Melanie knew how to get back in. He called down the stairs that he needed her help.

Melanie used a butter knife to get in and found a room lighted with candles, roses, and a three-tiered snowman-shape gift box on the bed. The snowman's head was empty. His torso had a note that said "try again." In the last box, she found an engagement ring.

Melanie turned around to find Francisco kneeling. "Will you marry me?" he asked.

She would!

The ring was the right size, but it didn't fit just then - Melanie was five months pregnant with Niko, who is now 3.

The couple married at the Wilarie in a ceremony performed by the Rev. Timothy Collins, a lodge brother of Francisco's and friend of the couple's who filled the ceremony with personal details about Francisco, Melanie, and their family.

Francisco was teetering on tears from the start - his mom and dad, in the same room for the first time in years, were both smiling at him, and so was his aunt, and other friends and family. His best friends and hers and the couple's sons walked in, the guys' ties and the ladies' dresses in shades of blue, blue-green, and purple, inspired by the peacock theme. The couple chose the peacock because it symbolizes awakenings, watchfulness, beauty, and eternal life.

Then John Legend began singing "All of Me," and Melanie was walking toward him. "Seeing her come down the aisle, my heart was filled with happiness, and I started to cry," he said.

Melanie's cheeks were already wet. "I was crying before I even got to the wedding, and crying still when I walked in." Lodge brother Robert gave her a tissue and told her to take a deep breath; she could do this.

During the vows they wrote for each other, Francisco spoke of the patience that love requires and thanked Melanie for being patient with him. He told her home was his favorite place to be, and truly where his heart is. Melanie promised to "treat him like the king that he is every day."

At the reception, their 125 guests sat at tables decorated with centerpieces made with flowers, pearls, and crystals by the bride. She had also made the flower girls' dresses and designed the cake. Francisco was in charge of the playlist, and he packed it with songs that have been the sound track of their story.

Exchanging vows was a powerful experience, both agree. And neither Francisco nor Melanie will soon forget the sparks flying between them when Francisco retrieved the garter with Gerald Levert's version of "Wear It Out" playing. The crowd egged the groom on, and their reactions were fun, "but I was only looking at her," he said. Melanie said the look in his eyes was smoldering.

A bargain: The day the couple met with Andrew from Brothers Catering, "we were straight up with him - this is our budget, this is the number of people we will be serving, can you work with this?" Francisco said. "He didn't go over our budget, and tasting the food made it even more amazing - people are still talking about his coconut shrimp."

The splurge: The groom questioned the need for "peacock this and peacock that," but the bride convinced him a little bling was necessary, and though $11 for feathers, for example, might seem frivolous, her handiwork saved them a lot of cash.

A week in Orlando, Fla.

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Officiant: The Rev. Timothy M. Collins, Providence Baptist Church, Philadelphia, friend of the couple.

Venue: The Wilarie, Philadelphia.

Caterer: Andrew Tamaccio, Brothers Catering, Berwyn.

Photography: Abraham El, Brother IB's Photography, Philadelphia.

Flowers: By the Bride, Melanie Echevarria.

Dress: David's Bridal.

Music: House DJ with music provided by the groom, Francisco Echevarria.

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