DENVER -- Their romance started more than three years ago after meeting at a friend's home.

Melissa Zannis and Jeff Childs were inseparable. They shared a love of travel and cooking, knowing they had finally found the perfect life partner.

"I knew from the second I met him. I just think he's the sweetest guy ever. He's very romantic," said Zannis while sitting next to Jeff on the sofa in their Denver home.

But soon into their romance, and days before Melissa's 31st birthday, life took an unexpected turn.

"I felt a lump and it was pretty large," Zannis said.

Melissa was soon diagnosed with a very aggressive type of breast cancer and decided to treat it equally aggressively. A radical double mastectomy was followed by chemotherapy.

"It was all bad news, but there was really no other option than to just fight it," said Childs.

For the next several months Jeff took care of her, offering endless support.

"I realized I have a lot to fight for. I have a great life, great job and a boyfriend I love. I'm not going to just roll over and give up," Zannis said.

Bond Strengthened Relationship, Hope Of Marriage

Chemotherapy was especially tough for Melissa. She said the dream of one day marrying Jeff carried her through.

"I hoped that he would propose to me when I was in my darkest time. I would use that as my motivation. I would just picture myself walking down the aisle," Zannis said.

"I love Melissa very much, and it wasn't very hard for me to make that decision," said Childs in response to her statement.

So, after her last chemo treatment they took a trip to the mountains and atop a peak in Breckenridge he popped the question.

'Wedding Pink' Helps Couple's Dream Come True

"This is a true story about love, surviving cancer and moving forward," recalled local wedding photographer, Cheryl Ungar, when asked about Melissa and Jeff.

Two decades ago, she, too, battled breast cancer. Now, Ungar is giving back by making wedding dreams come true.

She chose Melissa and Jeff as the first recipients of her newly created nonprofit, Cheryl Ungar Gives.

"The very underlying premise of my nonprofit is to do something nice for somebody who's been through a difficult time with breast cancer," Ungar said.

On Sunday, April 17th, Melissa and Jeff became the first couple to be married with the help of Cheryl Ungar and "The Wedding Pink."

Ungar organized a team to create the dream wedding for Melissa and Jeff.

It was a $30,000 dollar wedding, donated by 30 different Colorado wedding vendors.

"The wedding planner, the venue, the caterer, the deejay, the florist, the cake, pretty much everything you can think of for the wedding," said Ungar during the wedding rehearsal at Denver's Mile High Station.

Nearly 120 family members and friends had gathered to celebrate the wedding.

"It's surreal. I really don't have words to explain it," said Zannis as she looked around and saw all of the vendors preparing for her big day.

Now cancer-free, she said the gift of a wedding help her to focus on staying healthy rather than the stress of planning a wedding.

And that, said Ungar, is why she created The Wedding Pink. That and the hope of giving back to a community who years ago supported her.

"I really believe that their wedding is as much a gift to me as it is a gift to them," said Ungar.

Melissa and Jeff say their wedding was magical and they are deeply grateful. However, they never expected to be eligible for such a generous gift.

"If we could have perfect health, we'd give it all back in a second," Childs said.

You can see photos and learn more about the vendors who donated to "The Wedding Pink" at cherylungargives.com.

Watch Channel 7 at 10 p.m. tonight to see the story of one-woman’s mission to provide a free wedding for couple's like Melissa Zannis and Jeff Childs, whose lives have been touched by cancer.