The Casual Way Melanie Griffith's Romance With Jessica Marino Began

Famed SoulCycle instructor Melanie Griffith has announced her plans to say "I do" with her longtime partner. In April, Griffith revealed that she had popped the big question to her partner of six years, Jessica Marino, during a visit to her mother's old home in Scotland. "We were sitting there taking pictures on the stoop of my house where my mom grew up," Griffith recalled to People of the proposal. "I started saying nice things to her ... and she was crying and really had absolutely no idea that I was proposing." At the time of their engagement, Griffith said that she and Marino had been talking about marriage. While they originally had no plans to tie the knot, certain issues popped up in their personal life that made them feel that cementing their relationship on paper was the right choice. 

Griffith's upcoming nuptials to her fiancee will mark her second time walking down the aisle. The master instructor was previously married to Jason Griffith, with whom she shares her three children — Jude, Aiden, and Emma. Per People, it was around the time of her divorce from her ex-husband that Griffith first crossed paths with Marino during a SoulCycle class back in 2011. From there, the two struck up a friendship, and remained close for years until one evening in 2018, when they realized they had a thing for each other after a wild night out with friends. "We ended up kissing," Griffith recalled. "We were like, 'Wait an actual minute... Maybe this is something that we should go for, for real.'"

Love is in the air for Melanie Griffith and Jessica Marino. Since making their relationship officially official, the Soul Cycle senior instructor and her fiancee have not been shy about expressing their love and often display their affection for one another on social media. On Instagram months after their engagement, Marino — who is an elite endurance athlete — penned a sweet birthday tribute to Griffith in honor of her 54th birthday on June 27. Posting photos of Griffith on her Instagram page, Marino thanked her fiancee for making her a better person and sharing her love with the world. "it's really special doing this life with you and yours. ... the yin to my yang – and that's just what it's all about!" she wrote. "keep shining your light and love ... I LOVE YOU & HAPPIEST PERSONAL NEW YEAR!!!!"

On National Coming Out Day in October, Griffith took to Instagram to reflect on their relationship while sharing sweet photos of her and her girlfriend. "Love.a story.of friendship, partnership, growth ... and learning about who we are and how we are and why we are," she wrote. "a story of family. of support. of holding hands. and walking life together. a sacred bond. a timeless connection. ... a story of us," she wrote. She then referred to Marino as her best friend and fiancée. In the comments, Marino said she considers herself to be the lucky one in their relationship. "I love you with my whole heart," she told Griffith.

Opening up to People about their wedding plans, Melanie Griffith said she and her fiance Jessica Marino will be tying the knot in New York City in the spring of 2024. "We picked a place," Griffith told the outlet, adding that the wedding will take place somewhere in Brooklyn. They also shared that the ceremony will be open to all their family and loved ones. "We locked it in," she said. "There's a rooftop, and our plan is to mostly just have a party and a celebration." Originally, she and Marino were thinking of keeping their wedding small and private. However, they've yet to make any definitive plans and are keeping an open mind about how the occasion will eventually pan out.

Back in March, Griffith and her fiancee celebrated their engagement by hosting a fun SoulCycle class with their friends in Tribeca. "It's not official until the @soulcycle BrideS ride!! thank you ...  to the incredible SoulCycle Tribeca staff for celebrating our love – and engagement!!!" wrote Griffith. They also held a "mini-ring" ceremony, in which they exchanged engagement rings inside their home in NYC, as seen in her post in March. Earlier, the SoulCycle instructor expressed her excitement to finally marry her longtime girlfriend in a sweet post on Instagram. "On this day. one year from now, we will be Mrs. & Mrs.," she wrote. "Happy pre-anny, my love! It's already US forever."