A woman who hired a man 23 years older than her to be the DJ at her wedding didn’t expect to fall in love with him.

Nanny Megan Willis from Baltimore, Maryland, met Mark Stone, 49, while she was in New York to arrange her wedding. The 26-year-old was there to see her sister Kirsten, who booked Mark for Megan’s upcoming wedding, in the summer of 2016.

A year later, married life proved to have some difficulties for Megan, who flew back to New York for some support from Kristen. When they both went to the bar Mark DJed at, Megan got chatting with him and the pair hit it off.

Mark had opened up about his own 27-year marriage at the time and the couple bonded over their crumbling relationships.

They remained friends until 2018 when Megan’s divorce was finalised. Eight months later, the pair moved to North Carolina to officially be together.

In the infancy of their relationship, Megan confided about the reasons her marriage was breaking down She explained: ‘Talking with Mark really led me to the realisation that I shouldn’t have to beg my husband for attention.

‘Mark was just a friend yet every day he took time to check in on me. We both really enjoyed our chats no matter how silly or serious they were.

‘His support through it all really meant a lot to me. Going through something like a divorce you really need to have someone there to support you and to vent to and that’s exactly what Mark was for me and I’m forever thankful for that.’

At the time she worried about their 23-year age gap, what people would say and whether they’d wonder if she’s a gold digger.

‘Being together all negative thoughts went away,’ she continued. ‘I’m an older soul and he’s a young soul so it’s almost like we meet in the middle and it’s perfect.’

Mark also opened up about his marriage in which he shares a son, 22, and daughter, 20, with his ex-wife. He struggled to come to terms with the end of his marriage but once he accepted it, he was able to open his heart to Megan.

‘Once I realised my marriage was over, I opened my eyes to the love I felt for Megan,’ said Mark. ‘As I got to know her, I discovered underneath a person who filled your heart and soul with everything that defines love.’ Soon their respective families got on board with the relationship.

Megan and Mark have overheard strangers whispering about their relationship when they’re out in public. But they vow to never hide their love and want to encourage other age gap couples to embrace their bonds.

They also hope to have children of their own. ‘Mark needs a vasectomy reversal to do so,’ explained Megan. ‘He got his vasectomy done 21 years ago so we hope that having a kid will still be an option for us. We already have names picked out, Rhett Michael for a boy and Taylie Mae for a girl.

‘We really don’t care what other people think. We’re happy and our relationship works and that’s all that matters to us. ‘Love is love. Never feel ashamed for who you love. Never hide your love. Embrace it, shout it from the rooftops because it’s the most amazing feeling to love and be loved.

‘I hope people see our age gap and the love that we have for each other and for an age gap relationship to be less ‘odd’ and to remove the stigma that if a female is with an older male that she’s with him for money.’