Hello Lucky Holiday Card Giveaway!
Well, it’s December 1st. And you know what that means…it’s the month that snow usually falls all white and pretty and untouched, the month that Christmas lights make our homes all sparkly, that carols are played and cocoa is made. The holidays are here and we’re kicking off December with a bang with an amazing giveaway by Hello! Lucky.
The lovely, lovely, lovely girls over at Hello! Lucky are gifting one Style Me Pretty reader a set of 100 personalized Holiday photo cards. Each card features vintage inspired, artfully composed, completely swoon-worthy designs and NONE of them have glitter encrusted reindeer. They are such a welcome change and one that your friends and family will love you for. So, here’s how to enter…
Let us know how you or your fiance proposed or how your first met. In the comments section below, tell us the really romantic, really lovey-dovey stories that you tell your nearest and dearest. We’ll choose the best story on Friday, December 4th to win the set of Holiday Cards by Hello! Lucky. It’s that easy!
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These photo cards look great. What kind of card stock are they printed on??
130 lb 100% post-consumer waste recycled cardstock...gorgeous:)
Where do you submit your story? Thanks!
My fiance proposed at a baseball game because we are huge MLB fans! But he didn't do it on the big screen - he got a bat engraved with "Nicole Will You Marry Me?" and got down on one knee right in the aisle! It was so amazing!
Right here, in the comments section:)
Brian saw Me for the first time nearly three years ago before we met while he was working with the Jr. High group at Church. Mindy and her family were being introduced from the stage as her Father had just become a Pastor there. Brian's first thought was, "She's really cute! I like her fun boots!"
Though we had still never met, My impression of Brian was that he was the crazy, wierd "mullet boy" (he had a mullet) who lived directly below me in the dorms at Northwestern. I had no desire to meet him.
We didn't officially meet for another year and a half. After a missions trip to Honduras, I was playing a roleplaying game called with my team. When it came down to the end, I tried to convince a teammate that I was not Mafia, but that a boy named Elliot was. I was convicted anyways, and killed. Elliot won! Out of childish competition, I playfully chucked my water bottle across the room accidentally hitting Elliot in the face. When I texted Elliot to apologize later that evening, Brian called from Elliot's phone. Never having met Brian before, I was confused about who he was and I thought he was mean for he had threatened me jokingly saying that if I ever hurt his friend again he would "kick her in the face!"
That next week Elliot introduced us and we became friends.
After spending a summer at Beach Project in South Carolina and regularly going to swing and salsa dances together upon returning home, we began to become inseparable and started dating.
We've now been married for 16 months :)
hubs and I worked at the same pre-press house for years..i started dating so#1 and he was dating so#2...a few years passed...I was out with a group of friends and ran into hubs with a group of friends at the same establishment...I asked how is so#2 - he replied, I don't know - we aren't together...he asked, how's so#1 and I said, I don't know either - we are no longer together. I didn't give him my number at that time...so he had to look it up - he called me two weeks later to 'hang out' - the rest is history!
I am assuming I can submit my story right here??
While out to dinner, a friend called Logan and told him that his truck had died while he was off-roading up the canyon, and asked us to come and rescue him. When we got there, we found the truck, but no friend. Logan led me into the woods. I assumed we were looking for our friend who had wandered off while waiting for us to get there, until we got to a clearing surrounded by candles and rose petals, and softly playing a myriad of our favorite songs. (yes, I realize that is a fire hazard!) After a very short but very sweet speech on one knee, I said yes! This also happened to be the same part of the woods where he transitioned us from best friends to more, by taking my hand one night while we star-watched. There is just something about nature that makes simple things more romantic, don't you think?
My husband and I had a crazy year last year, graduating from school, moving to a different state, starting new jobs and starting the house search. By the early fall we finally thought that we had made it past the madness and planned a weekend up in Aspen (during their low season) to get away from everything. A week before we were leaving, we found a lump on one of our dog's legs and had to take him in for a biopsy to find out what was wrong. The vet was not very optomistic after the surgery, but told us the dog could still go away with us for the weekend as long as we made sure he took it easy. Needless to say, the LAST thing on my mind was getting engaged!
We got up to Aspen and headed out to dinner with some friends who were up there. We went out to a few different places and then decided to call it a night. Just as we got back to the hotel, it started to snow! It was the first snowfall of the year and (the huge dork that I am) I grabbed my camera to take a picture of us and the dogs in the snow. When i turned around from taking the picture, my then bf wasn't standing beside me anymore, i looked around and then heard my dogs rustling around behind me. When i looked down, there he was, on one knee, one dog on either side of him holding out a ring!!! I was completely shocked and started laughing and crying all at the same time.
We got married this fall back up in the mountains with both dogs (now in perfect health) and the first snow of the year this year was the night of our wedding!
Tim and I spent nearly ever weekend of this past summer at an undiscovered swimming hole (nicknamed Secret Beach by us) on the South Side of Chicago. We would wake up early, make breakfast, pack our backpack and hop on our bikes for the long ride down the lakefront. Our days were spent picnicking, reading, and having underwater handstand and somersault contests. It was pretty much bliss!
So I was not surprised on a beautiful day in early September when Tim asked if I wanted to spend the day at Secret Beach. I put on my suit and he packed our bag with beach towels and our books, but when I went to grab my bike, he told me he wanted to drive. Thinking he was just lazy, I gave him some ribbing but agreed that it would be faster and we could secure a good spot for sunbathing. However, when we got there, the water was filled with garbage! Not very romantic. Undettered, we unrolled the picnic blanket at a spot overlooking the skyline and I went to sit on the rocks to enjoy the view. Tim sat beside me and was being a bit lovey dovey, which is not out of the ordinary for him, so I wasn't suspicious. But when I looked at him, I saw sheer nervousness in his eyes! Knowing what was coming, I got nervous too...especially as he slid down onto one knee, pulled a ring box out of his pocket, and asked me to marry him. I believe I said "I will" about 5 times, and of course had tears rolling down my cheeks.
If I could have picked anywhere in the entire world for him to propose, it would have been this spot. It is where we spend our most fun time as a couple, and where I imagine us going with our children when we have them. I'm counting down the days until our October wedding!
To celebrate dating for one year, my now-husband took me to Fallingwater, an incredible home in Central Pennsylvania that was built by famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. I had wanted to visit since I was a little girl (and we're both engineers, so it was interesting for him too).
He rented a cabin in the woods where he cooked me my favorite meal. We went outside and there... in the moonlight... surrounded by total silence... in 6 inches of snow... he asked me to marry him. He told me that I had given him his life... a phrase that I later used in my vows two months ago!
My then-boyfriend and I were celebrating our 10 year anniversary together last May. We were on our way to a beachside bistro for dinner when he suggested we go to the beach first to take pictures since it was almost sunset. I did not find this to be unusual since photography is a hobby of his. So he set up his camera on a tripod and we started taking our usual silly and goofy pictures together. His camera had a feature where it could automatically take 10 photos in a row. After the first two rounds, I stood by him to get ready for the third round and when I looked to my left where he was standing, I see that he had gotten down on one knee and had a ring box in his hand! I don’t remember what he said exactly, all I remember is squatting down and giving him a big kiss! (My version of saying, “yes!”) The most beautiful thing about his proposal is that we have it caught on film and all I have to do is look through the pictures to feel all those wonderful feelings of that special day.
Just over two years ago we were just talking about getting married and snuggling in bed, I told him that I wanted the proposal to be sweet and simple. Two years ago on December 16th, he woke me up on a Sunday morning, wrapped his arms around me and proposed. It was simple perfection. We spent the rest of the morning cuddling and calling our families.
My proposal story is a little bit ordinary, a little bit nontraditional, but it's so "us." :)
It was an ordinary night. I was at my apartment watching TV waiting for Chris to come over after work to hang out for a bit. He calls me on his way home to see if I want anything to eat (not unusual), that he was stopping by Taco Bell on his way. I didn't want anything. He arrives, sits down on the bed beside me with his bag of food and watches TV with me for a couple minutes. Then he gets up with his bag of food to go get a plate from the kitchen, but stops in the doorway. He said, "Oh, no, the forgot part of my order," (also, unfortunately, not unusual). I said to him, "What'd they forget this time?" Chris turns around with his hand in the bag, and pulls out a ring box. Before I could really grasp what was going on, he was on one knee, the ring box was open, and he was asking me to marry him! He'd gone specifically to Taco Bell to get the hot sauce packet that has "Will You Marry Me?" printed on it, and the ring was wrapped around the packet inside the box. I did say yes, though not before apparently saying "Are you kidding me?" twice! (I don't remember that part!)
The ooey-gooey-sentimental part of the story is that he'd gotten EXACTLY the ring I'd wanted, and the diamond came from his late father's wedding band. He'd traded in the gold from his Dad's band to help pay for mine (per his mother's persistent request) (she's so sweet!), and used the diamond as my solitaire. In a couple months I'm going to have my late mother's original wedding bands re-done to make my wedding band. It'll be great to have something from both of our parents with me all the time. :)
It was 09.09.09... the date of the re-release of all of the Beatles albums. A very important day if you know John at all. We had joked weeks ago that he should propose then, but it was getting on into the evening, and Barack Obama was going to make a very important speech about health care... a speech that I (Sadie) wanted to watch. I basically had no clue what was coming, none at all. The health care speech ended at 9PM on the dot, and John was eager to get out the door, walk to a local pub and get money put on his gift card for his dj-ing there a few days prior. He's never been this anxious to get out the door or to get paid, ever.
John had just gotten off the phone with his mom - I assumed to check on the health status of his mom's husband. It made me think, and so I asked on our quick walk "How come you haven't told your mom you are planning on proposing?" (I knew he asked my dad already.) Boy, did I get a reaction... "why are you asking that now..." etc, etc. So I stopped pressing the issue.
We got to the pub, just us and the bartender inside. I sat on the stool, ordered a beer, and out popped John's cell phone in front of my face to show me the time. "I have to do this now" he said... "It's 9:09PM on 09.09.09... blur, blur, Sadie, will you marry me?" Yes, he got on his knee at the bar, yes, I said (obviously), and we kissed. And... I got a ring pop. Together we've since found the perfect antique diamond ring for me (another long but good story all in itself). Wow that was fast! As we called and texted friends and family it all began to sink in. This was really happening... yeay! We got to chat with a couple out celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary that night, and we went home.
I later found out that despite his nearly foiled plan, John was glad to be marrying someone who actually cared enough to sit down and watch the president speak! We are getting married on 10.10.10!
I had wanted to go camping with our frineds for Labor Day weekend, but he convinced me not to go. So instead we had gone out to dinner, where we had our first date. And then out for drinks. We went home and I was so tired from our date night out. As i was sitting on the couch, he asked what we were doing tomorrow, i said"i don't know" like i usually do. and then he said "well i know", got down on one knee in front of me, pulled out the ring box, opened it up and said "we're going to go show everyone your new ring" I think I started crying...he slid the ring on my finger. He swears to this day that I never said yes. Well, we have been married for over a year now...I guess he knew I said yes.
From Kristin...
It all started in June 2007. I was living in a house with 2 friends in Lake Placid, NY. We were having a Bar-B-que at our house and living in a smaller town, you know who everyone is or you have seen them around here or there.. Well, this guy came to our party and it was someone I have never seen before. He was really easy on my eyes! We were introduced and that was that, he left and went on his way.
About a month later, I was out dancing with my girlfriends and he shows up! He was very shy but he told me he had a funny story for me. He said that when he was a freshman in high school, there was a girl that was older than he was that his friends and him would call Miss America. He told me that I was Miss America to him. I was confused, but then he told me that he went to a high school in Rochester and sure enough, I went to that high school for only one year…my 10th grade! I lived in Albany, NY the other high school years. He said that his friends and him would see me in the hallways in high school and say, “Look, there she is…Miss America”. After he told me that story, I was taken aback and said “weird” or something like that and left with my friends….
About a month after that, which would be now August 2007, we cross paths again and for some reason it was a magnetic connection and we have been together ever since…
So then we dated for about a year and a half, with lots of travelling around and many many good times.
This brings us to April 2009, I coordinated a family photo shoot with my 2 brothers in the Albany area with Joe Elario. I wanted to get a picture taken for my mom for a surprise for a gift for Mother’s Day. Well, the surprise was on ME! Check this out! http://www.weddingsnystate.com/blog/behind-scenes/surprise-proposal-shoot-joe-elario-photography Also, you can see the whole photo shoot and the sequence to how it got to my surprise on www.joeelariophotography.com and click on the April archives and scroll down to April 26 or 27.
We have set our date for June 12, 2010 and it will take place up here in the Adirondack Mountains, where we met, fell in love and live. http://www.weddingsnystate.com/blog/behind-scenes/new-york-noteworthy-news-engagement-sessions
I couldn’t be happier.
For Christmas last year, my parents bought the four of us a trip to New York to ring in the New Year. Once we got there, Nick insisted we go to Rockafeller Centre - every day he would ask if we could go, and I would tell him later or next time we were in the area. After a while, I started getting annoyed that he kept insisting we go there - dense! Once we actually got there (to Nick's delight), it was beyond crowded and difficult to steal away from my parents (who were with us every step of the way). Before I knew it, Nick pulled me close, and said: "I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you - will you marry me?".
I said YES (obviously!) and spent the rest of the trip admiring my new ring (and husband-to-be)!
It was a Labor Day 2007 beach volleyball tournament in Texas that brought us together...
Me from Iowa --- Mike from Texas
The minute I laid eyes on him I knew he had to be mine! Over a day of friendly competition, the sparks began to fly and what was just going to be a day of fun in the sun changed my life in so many ways!
A long distance romance that spanned thousands of miles was made possible with a little help from the airlines, Vegas, and the forever in my heart, state of Texas!
....6 months later Mike packed his bags and moved to IOWA!
Our jobs bring about frequent travel for both of us but this one particular trip to New York City is where it all took place.
We spent the day in Central Park taking in the beauty and serenity that makes it so breathtaking. After a stroll through the many stores on the way back to the hotel, we prepared for dinner and a Broadway show. The night was simply magical, dinner was superb, the show was outstanding, we were all dressed up with plenty of places to go! And where did we end up?
Right back in Central Park -- on a little bench -- under a soft, glowing street lamp -- next to my best friend, my lover, my soul mate. And it was then, on this quiet evening inside the park just as the clock struck midnight that he slipped off the bench, got down on one knee in front of me and placed the most beautiful ring on my finger as he asked me to spend the rest of my life with him and become his wife!
it was beautiful, romantic, emotional, and perfectly intimate...we laughed and cried and hugged until the park rangers came by and congratulated us as they notified us the park was closing.
Perfect. <3
So my fiance is sitting with me watching hockey and we're arguing over which story is better, the proposal or how we met lol!
Ok, so my story of how we first met (the soon to be bride)
I went out one night to a bar with a couple girl friends of mine and saw an acquaintance of my sister's at the bar with a couple of his friends. We exchanged hellos and he introduced me to my now fiance, Konstantine. I fell in love instantly and after saying nice to meet you, he turned his back to me and continued a conversation he was having with the security guard next to him so I walked away....lucky for us, I saw him a couple days later and the rest is history.
And my version of the story (the groom to be)... yes, I know about SMP too :)
Anyways, so my version...she walks in, I bruise my friends arm to get his attention to check out the girl who just walked in, he says "I know her", I say "Get out! Call her over now". He waves, she acknowledges and walks over. He introduces us...and that's right, I snubbed her. I got nervous, said "Hi" and turned to talk to the security guy by the men's restroom. I turned back and she was gone....
But not for long!
The proposal... He had a flight on Christmas Eve to go home to be with his family... or so I thought. I dropped him off at the airport in the afternoon and spent the rest of the day with my family. We went to the Christmas Eve service at church like we do every year and came home afterwards to open one present. My sisters opened their presents and then I got one really big one from my parents... or so I thought. I opened the huge box, only to find a smaller one inside. I opened that one to another box that fit inside it. I kept opening and the boxes got smaller until I got to the smallest box that had a DVD inside of it. The DVD read "Watch Me" so I put it into the DVD player and sat back with my family and watched a photo montage with a bunch of pictures of he and I throughout our relationship, put to the song, "Better Together" by Jack Johnson, with some sweet words appearing on the screen. Near the end, the words read, " I love you Jen. Merry Christmas." And the last frame read, "Look out the window." So I looked outside and in red rope lights it said, "Marry Me." Then I turn around and out he comes from my sister's bedroom. He gave me a hug and apologized for lying about having to go the airport. Then he got down on one knee and said something about how he felt like he's been looking for me his whole life and now that he has found me he feels like the most blessed guy in the world and he is so thankful for me. Then he asked me to marry him! And I screamed, "YESSSSSSSSS!
Beautiful cards! I'm not entering your fabulous giveaway, but what if I wanted glitter encrusted reindeer? ;)
My Fiance and I met when we were 9 years old at summer camp in Maine! He remembers the first time I said hello to him... I was sitting on a cabin porch in a blue polka dot dress. We were from different towns but saw each other every summer at camp. It wasn't until after college that we started dating. We had gone to schools in different states and sort of lost touch for a few years. The summer after college we both ended up working at the summer camp we had met at as children. It was love at first sight...well at first sight 13 years later!
On the Spring Equinox this year we went for a walk in the rain at the local marina. Looking out over the bay, he got down on one knee in the mud and asked me to marry him!
Mike had been planning to propose for months, and I can't say I wasn't expecting it. A week earlier he wanted to make plans for a "date" to our favorite restaurant. As the day got closer and closer I knew something was up. For some reason I have a desire in me to ruin surprises so while getting ready I kept trying to trip him up. I'd ask "should I get dressed up? I'm really not feeling well" (I was coming down with a cold that day) or "Maybe we should do this next week" (what can I say, I'm a jerk)
Well Mike has never been very good at keeping a secret but low and behold he didn't budge, thank goodness too. By the time we got out the door Mike had swayed me to think that he actually wasn't going to propose that night. I had just decided to have a great night and enjoy dinner. So off to the restaurant we go, little did I know that Mike was sweating the whole time.
We have dinner and I'm really not feeling well but he suggests walking around the streets of Philly (which is something we would do a lot when we first started dating), I'm thinking well I'd rather not but it would be nice..why not. We get our jackets and walk out the door and it is pouring rain! We laugh and start walking to the car, and for some reason I can't understand why Mike seems so bummed about going home. As we start walking Mike hands me the umbrella and asks me to open it while he tied his shoe. I'm about to open the umbrella and he's staring up at me with a box in his hand. I actually don't remember much of what he said but I do remember dropping the umbrella, crying and hugging and kissing him in the middle of the rain. We we're soaked, emotional and though it wasn't at all how he had planned it - it was absolutely perfect!
I met him on my back porch in New Jersey. He was visiting from Italy and staying with my best friend, who he met while she was studying abroad in Florence. My best friend also had her Italian boyfriend visiting, who I had never met, so I decided to throw a party in honor. Apparently I touched G's hand while giving him a beer, but I don't recall it and he thinks I did it on purpose.
I didn't actually think twice about G until I was told he had had a terrible trip to the US because of another girl he had been seeing. He ditched her, and stayed with my bf for the rest of the trip. I decided he couldn't go back to Italy without having a good time, so I planned excursions to New York and Philly. One night we decided to get all dolled u for a night on the town, and he quickly made his move by grabbing my hand on the way to the PATH. Eventually we kissed outside a bar, which was followed by cheers from all of my friends that were spying. I have a picture of our first kiss.
Fast forward to a subsequent month long trip where I fell in love with Italy and tried to get into any study abroad program possible. Five years later I was graduating from fashion school and my parents, sister, grandparents aunt and uncle were visiting for my final fashion show.
We were having celebratory drinks in G's family's house with his parents and such, and he handed me a little gift bag. I heard his dad say in Italian, "Get on your knee and do it right" and I almost had a heart attack. I looked at my sis in panic and she went to grab the camera. G never actually said anything. He was white as a ghost and sweating bullets. It was pretty cute. I kept asking him what the ring was for to get him to speak (and breathe) but we all understood so I put it on and everyone toasted.
The Happy End
My fiance Devin and I love to be outdoors: hiking, camping, biking, everything. So while we were dating I would tease him that he would probably propose on top of a mountain...
Devin had accidently spilled the beans that he had ordered the ring over the 4th of July weekend 2009, but later tried to cover his mistake by telling me that I'd have to "wait a while", and that "it would happen before the end of the year". Secretly, I had hoped (and had only told a couple girlfriends) that he would propose over Labor Day weekend when we had planned on camping on Orcas Island, in the San Juan Islands-Washington State. Needless to say, I tried not to get my hopes up.
Friday afternoon heading into Labor Day weekend, we each left work early to make the 5:30 ferry in Anacortes. We cuddled on the front of the boat in the wind, discussed our plans for the rainy weekend, and was eager to set up camp. He was acting rushed when we got off the ferry at 7:00. The rain clouds were rolling in, and he was adamant about going up to watch the sunset before it went down. I was starting to feel like maybe he was going to propose(!!!) so rather than suggest we set up camp, I went along with it. He flew up Mt. Constitution (the highest point in the San Juan Islands) as fast as he could drive around the hairpin turns, and parked the truck at this amazing lookout. I piled out of the car, snapping photos of the rain clouds and the beautiful view, and Devin started fumbling through his backback looking for his "binoculars".
We hiked along the trail in search of the sunset until Dev picked a spot in the grass. I followed his lead and sat next to him. He tuned to me, opened the ring box and said "You make me so happy, I love you, will you marry me?"
I thought, "oh my god" he actually JUST PROPOSED! And burst into the happiest tears of my life. Shocked, we droved back down the mountain to set up our campsite, while I stared at my ring by a flashlight.
We got engaged September 4th, 2009 and we are getting married exactly a year later: September 4th, 2010 and I can't wait :)
Our story is not the most romantic, but it's definately special.
I was doing my internship for Recreation Therapy at a local Psychiatric/Behavioral Health Hospital. F had been working there for a few years on the Children's Residential unit. I met him on my second day, and he was with a child in the "Time Out" area after a pretty chaotic scene. At first, all I noticed was the fact that he was completely attractive. But as time went on, I began to really connect with him in my recreation sessions with the kids. Not only did he and I have a lot to talk about, but the way he treated the children as his own just warmed my heart. A guy who is good with kids? And handsome?
After a while, we began to talk on the phone and hang out. It didn't take long before we started dating. Some people say it's hard to work with someone and date them, but I fell more and more in love with him seeing how he interacted with psychiatric patients. He treated them with the same respect that he treated me with. He has a heart of gold, and I couldn't resist.
So when he and I were having a movie night about 3 months after we started dating, he leaned in and said so softly "I'm so in love with you, and I can't wait until you are my wife". I looked up, thinking, clearly this man has lost his mind. After only 3 months?
But when I saw the look in his eyes, I knew he was serious. And I knew I was too, when I said "I can't wait to be your wife".
He still proposes to me almost daily, and that keeps the spark alive. Every day, I feel like I get another chance to tell him how much I love him, and every day he gets a genuine "yes" from me.
We may have worked in a psych hospital, but the only thing crazy we found there was insanely passionate, true love. :)
Pete and I met for the first time in 2000. We had a class together in college... Finding him to be kind of a know-it-all and deciding I didn't really want to listen to some guy with a Boston accent dominate the class all semester, I figured I was going to have to participate at least enough to remind him he wasn't the only one who knew what s/he was talking about in the class. Turns out, cute + nerd was kind of his thing. By about the third week, he had started getting to class early to flirt with me and walking me home after class, despite it being well out of his way. Alas, I already had a boyfriend and wasn't really in the market for another, so things never went anywhere, and we went our separate ways at the end of the semester. By 2005, I'd broken up with my college boyfriend, and Pete had moved back to the Boston area (he lived in DC and Las Vegas after graduating), and we inadvertantly met one another again. By date three, I'd determined that Pete was good friends - and had been living with - a friend of mine's college boyfriend back when he was walking me home from class - how we never met that way is still a mystery to me! We moved in together in 2006, got engaged for Pete's 30th birthday this year, and we're getting married next summer, on the fifth anniversary of our first date.
My new hubby proposed the day we signed the papers for our house. He got off work early to meet me at the house when I got off work. With roses in hand, which I thought were just a nice surprise for the new house, he started telling me how excited he was that we could now start our family and look toward the future. We were hugging and discussing how thrilled we were to finally have our first house when he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I thought he was kidding, as we had discussed getting married before, and started saying "stop kidding around, this isn't funny." After repeating myself a few times, and throwing a few soft punches in there too, he pulled out the ring and said, "look, I'm not joking!" Once I realized this was it, I said yes and it's all history from there. Later that night I found out that he had been planning for months to ask me, but every plan he had I managed to derail by either canceling our plans or inviting someone to come along.
This past July, I was being a couch potato in my pajamas, watching reruns of Star Trek on TV. My fiance had just gotten home, and told me he had a present for me, and that I had to stand up and close my eyes. Expecting some sort of surprise involving food, I complied, and opened my eyes when he slipped a ring on my finger. I looked down, expecting an engagement ring - instead, he had attached a keychain ring onto a bag of the best caramel popcorn ever, and said, "Will you marry me?" There was a moment while he waited expectantly, and he later told me he was worried I thought it was a joke! It turned out he really wanted us to pick out a ring together, and decided to bring me the next best thing instead - caramel popcorn - until we went ring shopping together the next day. Because, of course, I said yes.
On the evening of our first home's closing I was pleasantly surprised by a proposal!
After Alec got the call to go pick-up the keys, he picked me up & we headed to the house with a few boxes & cleaning supplies. We were planning on toasting with a bottle of champagne, just sitting on the floor of our big, empty house! So when we arrived, I suggested that we head out to the screened-in porch to pop the bottle . . . little did I know that I was leading myself out to the exact area that Alec wanted to go.
I was a bit confused over several things, there was a key already in the lock when I went to open the back door . . . and when I stepped out there, there was a table with a big vase of flowers and rose petals scattered around. At first I thought maybe the homeowners or our real estate agents had left us a welcome home present – but when I asked Alec who had done it, he said it was him. (Turns out our real estate agent let him in early so he could set everything up. . . very sneaky!)
Then Alec got down on one knee and I clued in to what the heck was going on! He got a bit choked up & I started to tear up as he read a little speech he had prepared. It was beautiful and amazing. . . and I said yes! (Alec claims that I never said yes, I just hugged him) But I think that’s a yes!
The ring is beautiful... and it fits perfectly too!
I think everyone in Alec’s life already knew that this was happening, he could hardly contain himself. . . but only my dad knew on my side, because Alec had asked his permission over a round of golf.
I couldn't be happier!!
As any runner knows, the winter months make it hard to stay motivated. Cold nights and early sunsets are a recipe for missed workouts and jam packed gyms. As fate would have it, the "winter" weather and long lines for the treadmills was our recipe for a lifetime of love and mileage.
Ray and I officially met in January of 2007 at the gym. Our relationship started a bit before that, although no introductions took place and no words were exchanged. We often caught each other's eye from a distance, we shared a few smiles, but our paths never crossed. A few months later, I was finishing up my workout when Ray stepped onto the treadmill next to me. He introduced himself, we chatted for awhile, and it turned out that he had just started training for the San Diego marathon...my first and only marathon that I had ran 1.5 years prior and swore I'd never run again.
We started running together on Saturday mornings, which gradually progressed to every day. We ran our first marathon in San Diego on June 3, 2007 and we're currently training for our 6th marathon that will take place in Santa Barbara on December 6, 2009. We've traveled thousands of miles together without ever leaving each other's side. We've laughed, we've cried, we've told secrets, we've shared our dreams, we've gotten engaged, and we've planned our wedding...all while running. Our passports are stamp-free, but our shoes have taken us around the world.
We'll be taking a "rest day" on September 18, 2010 to get married in Santa Barbara and we'll be accompanied by our closest friends and family.
Cory and I met working at a summer overnight camp for kids and adults with disabilities. On the first day of staff training, we played one of those silly get-to-know-you games; I was blindfolded and being led around camp by a friend, then Cory switched out with my partner and grabbed my arm. While everyone else led their partner in a little circle, he decided to take the "new girl" on an adventure... leading me away from the pack and eventually making me jump off a tree stump. I heard him laugh before I saw his face... and from then on, I knew we'd be friends :)
After dating for over two years, we were asked by our bosses to go to camp during the off season and "interview" a new camper (or so I thought). The camp site is tucked away in the mountains, so Cory and I decided to have a breakfast picnic date before the interview. After breakfast, he led me over to take pictures of us jumping in mid air off of "our stump." I didn't realize he was proposing until he told me to close my eyes... and my heart stopped. When I opened them, he was on one knee, asking me to marry him.
Yes. :)
So he picked me up off the tree stump and spun me around, and we kissed, and I sobbed... and after hugging and crying and laughing, he finally put the beautiful ring on my finger. We went into the barn, sat on the hay bales, and we talked and prayed, listening to the little stream while the sun came up. It was beautiful.
We're getting married in June!
(Note: there was never an interview -- my bosses had known the plan for months!)
After a couple years of dating, and several trips to his hometown of St. Paul, Derek finally took me to the Minnesota State Fair. As a California girl, born and bred, I could barely contain my excitement! Cheese curds?! Mini donuts?! Anything I could ever possibly want to eat....on a stick?! Minnesota State Fair, where have you been all my life? After an eventful morning of pig-petting at the Miracle of Life Center (Baby animals! Be still, my beating heart!), Derek and I made our way across the campgrounds, to meet up with his family. Still amped from my encounter with the infant farm animals, I didn't think twice about Derek bending over to tie his shoe. When I finally acknowledged his bended-knee position, he was holding my grandmother's ring (Precursor to the story: I had told Derek that, if ever should he decide to propose to me, I wanted to use the same ring that my grandpa gave to my grandma, during WWII).
Derek:
Me: "What is that?"
Derek: "Your grandmother's ring".
Me: "What are you doing?"
Derek: "Asking you to be my wife"
And cue the water works. Now, this is the part of the story where Derek likes to tell people that I "snatched" the ring from his hand and placed it on my finger like a greedy little child (possibly true; I was in a daze), but I am pretty sure I let him slip it onto my finger. Either way, we were both shaking and crying, kissing and hugging. That night, my brand new fiancé won me a big stuffed Garfield, and we gorged ourselves on cotton candy and saltwater taffy.
When we got back home, Derek tacked the fair map to our wall and placed a pin in the area where he proposed - the exact middle of the fairgrounds! Not slightly to the left. Not slightly to the right. The exact center. We also found out that Derek's grandfather had proposed to his grandmother at the Minnesota State Fair! I can't wait to go back the fair, next year!
First of all, these cards are absolutely adorable. I'm crossing my fingers that I win!
My fiance Brian and I have taken many trips together but none that have been just the two of us. We live in Dallas decided it was time to treat ourselves and plan a fun getaway. We decided to go to San Francisco and then up to Napa for a few days. I had no idea that he was planning on proposing because it seemed like I was doing all of the planning for the trip.
As we arrived to the city, my luggage did not. It was much cooler than expected and I had to wear one of Brian's sweatshirts around the city all day. I was totally bummed because I had lots of cute outfits planned. As day progressed into night, I became progressively more crabby about not having my luggage. We planned a nice dinner at a sushi restaurant and I felt like a total slob in a sweatshirt with no fresh makeup but Brian convinced me to go anyway.
After dinner, we went to a park where we people watched and I undoubtedly complained entirely too much about my luggage being lost. It was approaching 1 a.m. when I got the call that they had finally found my luggage! Instantly, my spirits were lifted and I was so happy! We started to walk back to the hotel but Brian stopped me in front of a beautiful heart sculpture in the park and proposed. It was wonderful.
The rest of the trip was absolutely amazing.
We met while walking our dogs at a historic park in Boston and he proposed at the same location. It is high on a hill with amazing views of the skyline. We've taken the wreath design from the monument at the park and incorporated it in our invitations. We'll be married on Dec. 19 in Austin, TX!! Can't wait!
Brett and I were friends for a few years before we started dating. I became friends with a lot of his friends during this time. He knows how important my friends are to me so for my birthday I planned to eat dinner at my favorite restaurant with all our friends. He had bought an engagement ring, asked my Dad's permission before hand and proposed at the restaurant in front of all our friends. It was the perfect proposal!
This is way more romantic if you actually know Ted because then you know that he is the least romantic person in the entire world (and fully admits that) which is something I normally don't really care about. But, when it came to the proposal, he knew that I wanted something a little bit more special! We were moving to Chicago together so that I could start school and I was convinced that he was going to propose at the hotel the night before moving in to our new condo. It was our anniversary the next day so when he told me he wanted to give me his present early, I was SURE it would be a ring. Turns out it was actually a beautiful Bottega Veneta which I had been wanting forever. After convincing me with the gift that he wasn't going to propose, I didn't think anything of it. The next day we planned to stay overnight in our new place since our stuff was arriving the next morning. We were headed out to dinner and when I got out of the shower, he was there, ring in hand and told me that he wanted to propose before all of our stuff arrived because none of that mattered and all that he needed was me! :) Then he took me out to the most amazing romantic candlelit dinner which was a total surprise!!!!
Paden and I were meant to be from day one. It was pure fate that we ever met. After both winning our positions in the University of Florida Student Senate we arrived to our first meeting.... early. We were the only two names that didn't make it onto the email listing so we never received an email informing all of the senators that our meeting was moved back. After a brief chat, I was smitten and he changed his major to mine the very next day. The craziest part of all? - We both had significant others.
For over 2 years we both dated other people but remained close friends. The very day we both became single at the same time... I called him. Literally, from that day on we were inseparable.
Three years had passed and this Thanksgiving (just last week) he proposed! We visited the Biltmore house, which is my favorite place on earth and went on a brief hike in the hills surrounding the house. He told me to turn around to take a picture like I was hugging the mountain and when I turned back -there he was on one knee! I was so surprised and excited! And I wasn't the only one! The outpouring of excitement of our friends and family has been overwhelming. I am so happy in love that I never want this time in our lives to end!
My fiance & I met in India. He was there on a 2 year assignment and I had come for a 8 week stint. We kept in touch after I left and eventually romance ran amok! After years of dating long distance (he in India then Chicago) and me in Las Vegas, he decided to bite the bullet, sell his condo & move to Las Vegas. The rest is well... his version of our proposal....
Well of course I had known that Gloria was ‘the one’ for quite a while…before moving to Vegas, before moving in together, before shopping for engagement rings, before planning a proposal. I’m guessing she knew it too, but the question remained ‘How to sneak it up on her?’, because after all, the surprise is half the fun!
Because we enjoy traveling so much and exploring new places, I wanted to do it somewhere away from home. We had the trip to D.C. planned and when I found out we’d have a night to ourselves while the boys were staying with friends, I started to scheme. My plans almost went awry when it seemed that the ring may not be ready before our trip. Fortunately the setting arrived the day before we left and my diamond guy (yeah, I have a diamond guy) had his team put a rush on having the stone set. I picked it up the night before we left as Gloria and the boys were at home packing.
As we wandered D.C. the first day I quickly realized that the images I had conjured of finding a quiet moment to propose in front of a great American landmark would not be realized. There were people everywhere and apparently this was true at all hours of the day or night. I changed course figuring I could use Glo’s upcoming birthday as cover to plan a romantic night out on our one kid-free evening in the city. We read a host of restaurant reviews in our guidebook and the city’s entertainment magazines looking for a place we would really enjoy. Finally we settled on Neyla in Georgetown, which was a neighborhood we’d been looking forward to visit anyway. My final acts of stealth were first when I slipped the ring into her purse on our way out the door, indicating that it was just a little something for her birthday and asking that she not peek, and then finally when I took the opportunity to order champagne after we were seated at Neyla.
All perfectly innocent right?
Well, at this point I was about ready to burst. I’d carried the ring around D.C. for two days, we were finally on our own and I was sitting across from the woman I love at a beautiful outside table of the restaurant we had chosen together. I don’t think I could have waited any longer if I had wanted to! The rest is a bit of a blur; there was no bended knee or anything too dramatic, I retrieved the ring from Gloria's purse (she’d been carrying it around for a few hours!), looked into her beautiful eyes, told her how much I loved her, how much she meant to me and that I was looking forward to spending the rest of our lives together. I seem to recall she said yes.
My proposal happened one week ago tonight! I came home from a late night at work and noticed my boyfriend and his roommates were standing across the street from my house. I thought, 'I don't really want to hang out with his roommates tonight." I also noticed two big objects in my front yard. I parked my car in the garage and hesitantly walked down the driveway. Andy met me there, took my hand, and led me into the front yard where he had made these huge signs out of Christmas lights that spelled out "Sarah, will you marry me?" He got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife. I'm still beaming a week later!
I never knew I was leading my boyfriend to the spot of our proposal. We had been dating for almost two years, but I thought he would wait until our anniversary to propose. One sweltering night in June, Todd took me to eat at my favorite restaurant. I spent a lot of time getting ready, feeling a little anxious. We had a luxuriously long dinner, sipping champagne and nibbling on chocolate cake. Following dinner, I decided we should take a walk around our college campus, the beautiful University of Georgia, despite temperatures in the 90s. Todd seemed reluctant, but agreed. As we walked under the arch and by the chapel, I decided to follow a path to the back that I had never been down before. One traditions at UGA is to ring the bell behind the chapel in times of victory, and I had never had the opportunity to do so. We decided to take the path beside the chapel to ring the bell, but before we came to the back, I found another little brick path. It looked like a small garden, and so I decided we should take a little detour. As I walked down the path, I looked down so my heels wouldn't get stuck. When I finally looked up, my fiance had hung a beautiful old birdcage, strung with twinkle lights from a tree looked like it had cotton candy instead of leaves. We both started crying, but before I could say yes, I tripped on the bricks! Several of our friends were there to take pictures and video of us. We then rang the "victory" bell to celebrate our engagement!
Gene and I got engaged in Ischia. We were there on our first vacation since starting our jobs at law firms, and Gene planned the ENTIRE vacation - all the hotels, and even all the daily activities. Sant Angelo is very beautiful town, and Gene had planned a wonderful day there. The day we got engaged was packed with island fun. We took a water taxi from the town of St. Angelo to Fumerole Beach for hours of relaxing on the beach. We had a long leisurely Italian seafood lunch on the water, with fried mixed fish and insalata caprese. In late afternoon we walked to Cava Scura, an ancient natural hot spring a little up the mountains behind the beach. We bathed in private Roman baths and in sulfur baths both heated by volcanic activity. Then we took the water taxi back to town and hiked up the white-washed roads that were only wide enough for a bicycle or maybe a golf cart. At the top we ate at Mamma Mia Ristorante, a highlight of our trip (we returned two nights later – the food was incredible!). This was a tiny restaurant with no menu, the husband welcomes and serves you, and the wife comes up from the kitchen to ask which of the two evening dishes you’d like for your dinner, everything’s very fresh and there’s a view of the beach and hillsides. On the way down we stopped to look at the beautiful overlook at Sant Angelo town below, and there Gene got down on one knee and proposed. I said yes, of course, and then there were some tears from both of us. I was shocked. Turns out he'd had the ring all day, in the front pocket of the small backpack that we were sharing. We’d even left the backpack on a chaise lounge while we were in the individual Roman baths. Gene told me that he didn't think it was possible, but he loved me 1,000 times more now that I was his fiance. :-)
It was non-stop romance all day, and it was extra romantic since every part of the day was a surprise, especially the proposal at the end. :-)
We met on an online dating service. He sent me a message and we talked from there. He thought my profile was "snarky" (I found out later) and didn't really like my hair in my picture (a new style *I* thought was pretty!) I gave him a nickname and he didn't know my real name for over a month. I wouldn't give him my number and I only called him; I was trying to be safe on the internet and he thought I didn't like him. It all worked out, however. It's just funny that sometimes things don't always start off with a bang!
After a hard day at work, I went to a harder yoga class. I came home sweaty, tired and with a headache. Although he doesn't know it (he thinks it was a 100% surprise), I had a weird feeling that he might propose, and as I was walking from my car to the door, I was hoping he wouldn't. I didn't want to be sweaty and cranky when he proposed! And then, I opened the door and the lights were off, candles were lit, and he was on one knee with the ring out! I forgot all about my headache and jumped on him. He never even got a chance to "ask" the question. I just said YES!
Russ and I met when our mutual friend Jim asked me to sub in on vocals for a song called "Sexual Postman" (yes, really) with his band, The Randy Bandits. I walked into rehearsal, and there Russ was at the keyboard,banging out a rock tune in that focused yet fun-loving way I have come to adore. I told him he reminded me of Ben Folds, which he now tells me was maybe the best thing I could have said...
...and then we chickened out and didn't admit our feelings for each until we reconnected at a Seattle campground wedding four years later. After the reception, we split a bottle of wine, watched the campfire die out, and shared a long-overdue first kiss. It was one of the best moments of my life.
Two girls, best friends, jumping on a trampoline. They are 14. Two boys with their skateboards, watching from the lawn. The blond girl smiles at the new boy and says "hey" between bounces. A wave at a beach bonfire, a nod at a high school party, a smile from across the beer store.
Three girls, five boys, having drinks, in the pool, playing music. They are 26.
"Is it ok if Dan comes?"
"I remember him. Sure."
He is patient, he is kind, he is not her type. She is strong, she is scared, she trusts her heart. He waits.
One girl, one boy, staring at the bedroom ceiling. She is 30 today. Sun sparkles off the water, a ring box on the pillow. Heads turned to each other, he says, "So... will you"?
Once upon a city night…a moment, a song, a dance brought about a magnificent change in Natasha and Ali’s lives that neither knew had happened yet. “We thought we were just having fun,” the two recall, but the spark that ignited that night held fast through Ali’s glory days of bachelorhood and Natasha’s relentless pursuit of a career in investment banking.
A few months after that destined night, the unofficial couple sped towards a snowy Tahoe on a three hour drive filled with expectedly inspiring conversation. The next morning marked Natasha’s maiden voyage of skiing on Ali’s home turf, hardly an easy task for someone who had only seen snow three times prior in her 24 years.
Through twisting winding roads and surrounded by an unfamiliar wintery terrain, Natasha curiously questioned Ali about the ins and outs of skiing. With nearly 29 years of extreme skiing under his belt, Ali pointed out every skiable terrain imaginable, from kindergarten-grade rolling slopes to expert-only slopes known as black diamonds.
Just as the two made it to the mountain, he ended his dissertation by joking, “and if you ski a double black diamond, I’ll buy you a diamond!” Unsuspecting that such dialogue would turn into prophecy, Ali clipped on Natasha’s first pair of ski boots and dropped her off in the kindergarten-pen.
Two years later, Natasha and Ali’s journey through countless experiences and many visits to Tahoe prepared the couple for a pilgrimage of sorts to the land of Mecca for skiers, St Anton, Austria – and one moment on top of a mountain that would change their lives forever.
2 1/2 years later...
With powder on the brain and a rock in his pocket, Ali stumbled through the security checkpoint at San Francisco International Airport hoping that security wouldn’t blow his cover. Meanwhile, an unsuspecting Natasha skipped towards the departure gate ready to hit the slopes in Austria with newly minted skill and style.
Several hours later, the two found themselves 4,000 vertical feet above the St Anton valley completely captivated by the dramatic, jagged peaks in every direction. But then clouds rolled in and blanketed the Austrain alps for the next 6 days, bringing daily dumps of powder and covering Ali’s chosen mountain top proposal place – and leaving him free to journey off into off-piste paradise.
Little did he know that Natasha would end up right by his side in the extremes of black diamond territory. And little did she know how quickly the real diamond would come after skiing that first double black diamond.
But time was coming down to the wire and the day before departure the clouds finally parted. Parents back home were waiting in suspense for the news as Ali and Natasha journeyed to the highest peak in the area. Sounded by majestic, sparkling peaks Ali led Natasha to a quiet spot away from crowds. After declarations and kisses and balehs (yes in farsi), the two came down the mountain ready to begin their journey in life together.
Joel invited me to come for dinner that evening, a normal night for us. After dinner, I asked about the plans for the rest of the evening. He suggested we have some quiet time together, then he needed 20 minutes to get a project finished, and then we could go for a walk. (Going for walks have always been a great connecting time for us since early in our dating.) I thought it was a great idea. We had really good prayer time together, then he went to do his project. However, he has never went to his room and shut the door to work on something. At one point, he came out to the kitchen and seemed to be acting strange. I was incredibly curious (and suspicious of a proposal), but decided to not set myself up for disappointment.
Finally, we went to walk but that ended up being the quickest walk, both in route and pace, we have ever had. When we got back to the house, I was preparing to go home and he said to me, "I got you another book. Do you have time?" I said, "of course!"
(preface: We enjoy reading books together, and Joel even adds voices. Just the week before he had surprised me with the children's board book, "Guess How Much I Love You.")
I looked and saw this heart-shaped pop-up book titled "Love Bugs". We cuddled up on the sofa and Joel began to read. I learned the 20 minute project he finished earlier was pasting his own notes on each page. As he read, I was suddenly feeling confused because something clued me into what was happening. I didn't think a proposal was actually going to happen any time soon so I was in shock. He turned to the last page which had a dozen pop-up 'love-bug' roses. I saw the ring attached to the top rose and quickly looked away because (LOL) I was wasn't sure that I was suppose to see it, like somehow he didn't realize that he had left it there. (LOL) Finally, he folded down the last hand-written note that said, "Will you marry me?" I quickly said, "yes!" He then got up, knelt before me, and put the ring on my finger.
We met at a *cough cough*... bar. Yup, that's right, a bar! His pickup line was sweet ("I kept looking at you over my friend's shoulder so I had to come say hi") and I thought he was cute, so I gave him my number. We arranged to have dinner the next weekend, but I came down with a bad cold. We rescheduled for the next week, but I got into a minor car accident and just wasn't in the mood to be entertaining. He claims he would not have tried to reschedule again but he didn't have to - I set the third date and this time, I kept it!
Third time's the charm because fast forward four years and he's proposing at the waterfront in an adorable shopping district with cobblestone-lined streets. He still thinks it's hilarious to warn people not to pick up a girl at a bar... because you'll never get rid of her!
My fiance Michael, planned a 25th birthday celebration for me in Puerto Rico! We flew out on Thursday and we were laying by the pool, when I saw my parents, my two brothers and two of my cousins walking out to the pool~ Michael invited my family and I was so excited! That night we went to a roof top bar on the beach. We were drinking and having a wonderful time when he asked me to go for a walk on the beach. He got down on one knee and proposed! I was completely shocked and when we went back up to the bar, my family was there to congratulate us! It was the most romantic, perfect proposal. We are getting married in Puerto Rico this May, and I can't wait!
Juan and I met in a uniquely New York way, the subway. I was having a truly bad day. Everything that could go wrong was going wrong. I was trying to get home and not paying attention and I went down the wrong set of stairs. I think I used some profanity when I realized my mistake and there was this man who saw me and said, "are you trying to go downtown too?", we had both made the same mistake. We started chatting as we crossed the street to get to the correct side and continued the conversation as we boarded a packed subway car. We talked the whole trip and I knew we were hooked. I think Juan was scared of being rejected in front of a ton of people so he didn't ask for my number. Luckily, I wasn't as afraid of rejection. We were approaching my stop and I reached in my pocket and handed him my card and told him it was very nice talking to him. He waited 20 days to use my number but when he did we went on a date and the rest is history!
I met my fiance at a wedding! We were the last two single people from each side of the marrying couple and he came up to me midway thru the reception and asked me the most random questions. I played it cool and walked away. Later on that night, he approached again, all sweetness, and while I tried to resist, we made plans for Date 1.
He later admitted that he saw me walk into the church with two of my friends who are a couple and that he had been trying to find out all night before he approached whether I was with someone or not.
We're getting married in 17 days. I can't wait.
opps...I forgot to say we were married October 3rd this year and my gift to my husband were custom made cuff links with the subway map highlighting the stop we met on. Everyone wrote in our guest book how happy they were for the MTA (Metropolitan transportation authority)!
My hubby and I have a CRAZY, wonderful story. I met him when I was 16, on a mission trip in TN. I spied him from across the camp, and I remember thinking, "I hope he's in my work group." Somehow, out of hundreds of people, we ended up in the same group. Immediately, we both sensed chemistry. But, we also both had a boyfriend/girlfriend back home, so we had to keep things "friendly." We worked side by side all week, spent every minute on the long van trips to work sites spilling all our darkest secrets, and made endless laps around the camp every evening just enjoying each other's company. The week flew by, and on the last evening, we spent an agonizing hour just sitting next to each other, knowing we would miss each other terribly. We also both gave each other a letter (something we hadn't planned), and both of our letters basically said we were falling in love and we wished the circumstances were different. The next morning, we said our goodbyes and returned to our respective homes, 8 hours apart.
Amazingly, we kept in touch. I mean weekly phone calls and regular letters in touch. It was all rather secretive, since I never broke up with my boyfriend back home. Over the next couple of years, we truly became the best of friends - we knew everything about each other, and we turned to each other first for both good and bad things. When I was a senior in high school, and he was in his second year of college, he called to announce that he was planning a trip to visit me over his fall break. I was so thrilled, I immediately broke up with my boyfriend of 3 years, knowing that we were finally going to be able to be together. But when he showed up, his car was covered in signs that said things like, "I know I'm cute, but you can't have me." He had a new girlfriend. I choked back my disappointment, and we had a nice visit. There were plenty of awkward moments, though, like when we got caught up in the moment and almost kissed, and I had to pull away and ruin it, because I didn't want to be that girl that kissed someone else's man!
A couple of months later, I had started seeing someone else, and right as he was trying to ask me to be his girlfriend, my cell phone rang. It was Corry (my now husband). I ignored the call because of what was going on, and that was the last time I heard from him for months. Five months after that, I ran into a friend who went on the mission trip with me (who kept in touch with someone from Corry's church that she had met), and she asked if I had heard that Corry was getting married. I was so shocked I almost got sick. I called him that day, trying to act casually, and he shattered my world by telling me that his girlfriend had gotten pregnant and they were getting married at the end of the summer. I didn't let on how upset I was, and I asked if I could come to the wedding.
My then-boyfriend and I made the long drive down to GA for the wedding, and we ended up spending the night at Corry's house the night before the big day. Corry kept looking at me with these longing eyes, but we couldn't talk. The morning of his wedding, he and I both woke up super early at exactly the same time, and we were able to talk (not about anything important) for an hour or so. Then, my bf and I had to leave so he could get ready. When we left, my bf blew up, saying, "That guy doesn't want to get married - you should see the way he looks at you!" We got in a huge fight over it (he was the jealous type), and almost didn't make the wedding. We got there just in time, though, and I wept as I watched Corry - the man of my dreams - marry someone else.
Fast forward a couple of years, and I'm having another secretive phone relationship with Corry - this time to help him get through a miserable divorce. My same boyfriend didn't want me to talk to Corry at all, even though he was married, but Corry really leaned on me through the divorce. There wasn't anything romantic to it at all. After things settled down, we stopped talking, mainly because I didn't want to upset the boyfriend. But then, he suddenly dumped me. I didn't call Corry (didn't want to seem desperate), but the next time he called (a couple of months after the breakup) I sort of slipped it in the conversation that I was single. He didn't react too strongly, but he did start calling A LOT, and in a couple of more months, we were arranging to meet to spend a weekend together.
The weekend was pure bliss. We picked up exactly where we left off, and we were FINALLY able to have our first kiss and tell each other how we felt. Unfortunately, it was back to reality the following Monday...I totalled my car on the way to work, and then when I got there, my ex (who apparently learned of my weekend getaway by using my password to check my email) called 15 times throughout the day crying (and he had to go through the receptionist each time!) I was mortified and agreed to meet him after work. When I got there, he was threatening to kill himself and had pictures of me all over the place - terrifying. I left and called Corry sobbing, and much to my surprise, he said he'd be to my house in a little over an hour! Apparently, he'd been driving all day to surprise me. When he pulled up (BTW, the ex didn't actually do anything to himself - just a big attention stunt!), he jumped out of his car, got down on one knee and proposed! I was FLOORED. I said, "Of course!" Then, we went and got waffles and limeades in a 24-hr diner, and he drove 8 hours back home. A few weeks later (after spending time with each others' families), we eloped, and the rest is marvelous history :-)
And it all started on an airplane- just like where we met, up in the sky on May 2, 2008, but the story gets better since Andy decided to propose on an airplane.
This past Wednesday night November 25, 2009, as Andy and I were flying from DC to Houston, Andy proposed. It was the perfect engagement since we had previously met on an airplane.
About an hour into the 3-hour flight, a flight attendant called me to the front of the airplane for a very "urgent message". Andy, being the gentleman that he is, escorted me to the front to see what all of the fuss was about. As soon as I was there the flight attendant said "Andy has a very special question that he would like to ask Elise." All of this is now over the PA system, so the entire plane was listening-oy! The Stewardess made Andy get down on one knee in the aisle of the first class cabin so that the whole plane could watch. As I was nervously shaking, I said yes. Then the whole plane applauded, we had people coming up to us afterward wishing us luck and giving us congratulations- it was so much fun! The only hard part was waiting until we landed to tell my family!
I hope that you all have had a very Happy Thanksgiving- I sure did!
My fiance and I met working in my Congressman's office in Washington, DC. He needed an internship with a California Republican, and I needed to get out of California- no matter who I worked for! For a year we worked side by side, then I was promoted and he was "my" intern. We were just friends, and it was time for me to finish school. I got into my dream school, in London. Josh even drove me to the airport when I moved away. I missed DC and came back to visit that fall. Josh offered a place to stay, and drove me to the airport again when it was time to return to London, waiting in the security line with me until they kicked him out for not having a boarding pass. As soon as I got through security, I started crying. My body revolted at the thought of leaving him, which was disconcerting, considering I didn't think we were more than friends.
That December when we were both in California for Christmas, and Josh drove North from LA to see me. Somehow between October and December, we had become much more than friends. I took him to Yosemite for a romantic weekend, but he was too scared to ask me out- even as we stood alone at the foot of a waterfall, and again while stuck in traffic with nothing to eat but Christmas cookies. Oops. He ended up asking me out as I drove the icy mountain road home, and I held his shaking hand all the way home.
http://circle.stylemepretty.com/LaurenRenee/blog/2009/09/08/our-save-the-date/
Our save the date- playing off of our DC-California bipartisan connection... :)
My fiance and I have known each other since seventh grade, when we met. I'm a "V" last name. and he's a "T" so we were constantly seated near each other. My earliest memories of him and I together are laughing and talking in our many classes together over the years. We became the closest of friends, and at one point in high school he wrote me a genuine love letter. What was my response? You're like a brother! Let's just be friends!
We remained friends through college, even though he was crushed. A few years ago, after he returned from living on the East Coast for a year after finishing college, we ran into each other and, let me tell you, I was whistling a different tune! Those brother-ly feelings were long gone!! I ended up chasing him...and the rest is history! We're now planning our wedding for next September! He says he knew all along I would come around eventually :)
Now I'm a seventh grade teacher, and love telling my kids our story, and that you never know who you'll end up with...
In the fall of '06, I was in Border's Bookstore w/ my guy best friend one Wed night, waiting for my nephew to get done w/ youth group. I was looking at Christian books, and this good looking guy was there also. I'm not one to approach a stranger, but I had NEVER seen a cute guy looking at Christian books! We smiled at each other but I could not think of one darn thing to say. I think we were both stalling and I was hoping he would say something, but after a while I felt so obvious and went to sit down w/ my friend. I told my friend the story and then 'the Border's Guy' also came to sit at another table and read. I told Ry(my friend) and Ry said he would get up and walk around in the hopes that this guy would talk to me. I said,' He won't! It already looks like you're my boyfriend!' And I was right. Ry got up but the Border's Guy didnt approach me.
So, that was that. I even went to Borders the next Wed, hoping....maybe....same time...same place...but he didnt show up. End of story...or so I thought.
Well, fast forward Labor Day Weekend, '07. I was in church on Sunday, like usual and a guy I recognized came in w/ another guy and girl, who I hadn't seen before. There was space in my row (our church has about 1500 people in a service) and they sat next to me. Our pastor told us to greet the person next to us and the new guy (James) and I chatted for a little bit...a definite connection but I left it at that.
The next Sunday, James came again and found me and started talking to me. And the next Sunday after that. And then we ended up going to the same Sunday school class. Then he asked if he could sit with me in church...
Well, about 6 weeks later (by this time, he had gotten my number and email) - he walked into Sunday School and something looked very familiar about the sweater he was wearing. I thought to myself, 'That reminds me of the sweater the Borders Guy was wearing.' And he looked handsome like the Borders Guy...as much as I could remember about him.
Later that week, James told he was going to go to Borders to read. Well, I just had to ask...so, I told him the story of when I was there and there was this guy and I was with my friend...etc, etc. James was silent and then he said, 'Were you wearing a denim jacket???' (I had been). 'Yes....' 'I remember you!'...and he went on to tell me that how he saw me with that guy, he had been disappointed to see I had a boyfriend and he prayed, 'God, now why can't you send me a pretty Christian girl like her???'
One think led to another, we started dating shortly after that, and in July, 18, 2009, James proposed to me as the sun was rising on the beach at Montauk Point on Long Island. He said he was going to wait til sunset, but he wanted to do it at sunrise, to symbol the start of a new day and life together. :)
Our story is simple but incredibly sweet and meaningful. At least to me it is!
My fiance and I have spent all but three days of our engagement apart because he is a Captain in the Army deployed to Iraq for ten months. While he was in pre-deployment preparation in Texas he decided that he wanted to pop the question before he left, although we had discussed getting engaged when he returned and the the stress of war had subsided. Unfortunately he had no way to get to a jeweler from the Texas desert so he called my best friend to help me find a ring. She stealthily found out my dream ring, had it created in Atlanta, and then shipped to Texas.
We had three days to spend together between pre-deployment and actually leaving for Iraq in August. At the last minute the location was changed from our current hometown of Atlanta to Detroit, so we hopped on planes and met at the Detroit airport. All the while he was having to figure out the perfect proposal in a different city than planned! Once we arrived, we found that our rental car was delayed for five hours with no others to be found. My fiance insisted that we take a taxi to downtown and not miss a moment of our brief time together. I said I was happy just being together at the airport and we could just save the money. After he persisted we did get a taxi and a short ride later I found myself at a 300 year old towering cathedral on the downtown waterfront. We walked inside with our bags in tote, wandered around admiring the beautiful art and architecture, and as we approached the front I turned around to see my love on his knee with a ring glimmering in a leather box. He asked and I accepted.
We spent those next few days before sending my Soldier off to war lingering on the piers of Lake Huron, having long conversations in coffee shops, and enjoying our engaged bliss! Saying good bye was tearful, but I have a constant reminder of his love on my left hand as we grow together across the miles. Over 200 letters written and only six months left of the deployment, we long for the day next fall when we'll exchange our vows in that same beautiful cathedral. I could not be a happier woman or a prouder wife-to-be of the service my husband-to-be is giving to our country.
My fiance and I met while working at the same advertising agenacy. And so while there was an attraction, there were also lots of reasons for the two of us to avoid being more than friends. Dating at work, it seemed, often lead to gossip, breakups and more gossip. The situation seldom seemed to end in love and marriage.
With the odds stacked against us, we aimed to avoid any kind of romance for a very long time. Instead, we opted for the next best thing: innocent – politically correct - workplace flirtation. Basically, he would make impossibly demanding work requests of me. In turn, I would ignore his requests. It was similar to two high school kids who really liked one another, but who instead expressed their affection via tormenting one another in the hallways, over e-mail and texting.
Over time, despite lessons learned about inter-office dating, he worked up the courage and asked me if I wanted to spend time together outside of the agency. His excuse for proposing a meeting? “I recently adopted a dog, and I know that you like dogs, so maybe you can come over to meet mine.” If you asked him truthfully, he would tell you that he was looking forward to our first real date. If you asked me, I would tell you, “I honestly thought I was just going over to meet his new dog.”
And so the story goes, that shy first proposal to meet outside of work – after months of flirting with one another – turned into a dinner at a restaurant called Picnic. That dinner turned into a long walk in a place called Playa Vista, where we live. That long walk turned into watching a movie called Elizabethtown. And one year later, our flourishing romance turned into a shy second proposal, this time to spend a lifetime together.
I was SO upset when Brandon asked me to marry him because he made me walk forever and ever in the snow while I was hungry and cold!
More on that later... but first:
Brandon & I were supposed to move to Seattle, where he was going to attend medical school. We had been scouting the area out for homes and planned a trip with his parents to look at some potential places. We flew in and met his parents at the airport. The next day, we went to downtown Seattle and Pike Place Market. Brandon & I had been to Seattle before, so this wasn't new to us, and he insisted that we split from his parents to go to the Seattle Art Museum. I agreed (but I'm not a huge fan of art), and we went. FOUR hours later, we were still in the museum. Brandon decided he wanted to read every little description and visit every area of the museum--then, the gift shop!
By now it was past dinner time and I was starving and grumpy from wasting an afternoon in such a beautiful city. Then he tells me he doesn't know what restaurant we are eating at or where it is located. This got on my nerves because Brandon is Mr. Mapquest and can navigate any city. On top of that, he made me walk, in the snow, at least 3-4 miles to the restaurant.
We stop in the Seattle Art Museum's outdoor garden area, where the space needle is in the background and Brandon decides he really wants to get a photo in front of the space needle. I yelled at him and said "We've been here before and we already have this picture," hinting that I was hungry and not in the mood. He insisted, and set a photo timer. Then he races over and fumbles with a kleenex he pulled out of his coat jacket. The flash went off and nothing happened. Then he did it again. This time, he got down on his knee and asked him to marry me.
I don't even remember saying yes -- more wondering whether he had asked my parents. (Side note: in my family, you typically date for 6 years, get engaged for 4-5, THEN get married. We'd only been dating for 9 months at the time).
So we walked to the restaurant on the pier (where we ate the first time we went to Seattle together), and now I'm mad at him for not telling me to dress properly. But, we walk in and I see my parents sitting at the table with his parents! He flew them in to surprise me and have all of us together to celebrate! I was in SHOCK. This is why he stalled all those hours at the museum; to give them enough time to arrive and get to the restaurant.
And, during one of the most expensive meals I've ever had, I was no longer hungry.
The next day--his birthday--, we hopped on a ferry and visited the Butchart Gardens in Victoria, B.C. in the snow! It was incredible. We are getting married April 2010. :)
To celebrate our 3 year anniversary Ryan planned to take me away for the weekend--our destination was NAPA VALLEY. He had booked us at this amazing 100 year old Bed and Breakfast in the heart of Napa. On Saturday October 24th following a picnic at the Clos Du Val winery, Ryan told me he had an "adventure" planned but I would have to wait for the surprise. He drove me back to the Bed & Breakfast where a town car was waiting to take us to Calistoga. His plan was to take me to the CASTELLO DI AMOROSA (CASTLE OF LOVE).
I was speechless as we pulled up the the Castle, as my sisters will tell you I have always been fascinated with them. We took a tour of the beautiful winery that ended with a private tasting underneath the castle. In the middle of the tasting a woman came in to the room and started chatting with our group "Each day the Castle chooses one of their guests to tour the private Royal apartments. The apartments are not open to regular visitors but we like to give one special guest a day the chance to take a peek. The winner today is Ryan." I was shocked, at this point I was still clueless to the plan. I asked if I could come along on the tour and the woman agreed. She then took us from the group and began the tour of the private royal apartments, where only private events are held. At the end of her tour she led us to a wooden ladder, we climbed the ladder which led us to the highest tower in the Castle. When I saw what was waiting for us I immediately burst in to tears. At the tallest tower of the castle overlooking all of Napa valley was a private table for two, a chilled bottle of wine and cheese platter. At this point I still didn't know what was coming--I thought Ryan had planned a dinner for two at the top of a castle. We sat down at the table, Ryan looked at me with a look I had never seen. He took my hands and I knew. He got down on one knee... The rest of that moment is a blur of tears, emotions and pure joy.
The following day we were still in Napa wine tasting. I had been a bundle of excitement all day. I didn't care what we were doing...WE WERE ENGAGED! Ryan had the day planned out with the wineries we were to visit. The third winery of the day was the Korbel Champagne Winery. As we approached the tasting room and walked inside I received my 3rd amazing surprise of the weekend, aside from the castle and proposal of course, my PARENTS were sitting in the tasting room waiting for me. Ryan turned to me and said, "Every girl needs to have her mom with her when she starts the rest of her life." He had flown in my parents from Arizona to spend the rest of the weekend with me. It was the perfect ending to a life-changing weekend.
My fiance and I met 5 1/2 years ago. We recently got engaged on November 8th. The story I will tell is the proposal story. I had just spent a week (longest amount of time we had ever been apart) in Mexico shooting a wedding. I had spent an entire day traveling when I finally got to the airport my fiance picked me up and drove me home another hour and half. We finally arrived home at 3:00am, I walked into the our house and my favorite cat Pumpkin came running up to me I knelt down to pet her and noticed she had a collar on I asked my fiance why does she have her collar on? That is when I noticed the Ring! I turned around and my fiance was down on one knee proposing!! Of course I said yes.
There is another part of the story that means so much to me... My engagement ring was my Grandma's I knew she had left it for me when she passed away. Turns out my fiance proposed on the 3 year anniversary of my Grandma's passing. He had no idea. Some how I know that this is was a sign from my Grandma. Totally meant to be!
It's a long story, but since I was little I have wanted a red couch. I've also never liked rings or diamonds, so even at a young age I was practical and I decided that I wanted a red couch instead of a ring for my engagement (since in my young mind I figured they would cost the same). The idea has always stuck, and I've joked around with boyfriends, telling them that's what I wanted instead of a ring.
Fast forward to present day. My birthday was October 4th, and for the couple months following, my boyfriend was sneaking around planning my birthday present. I figured it was a trip, since I mentioned that's what I wanted. Well, on the day of my birthday, my boyfriend suggested that we go for a hike in the mountains. It was a cold foggy day, so I didn't really feel up to hiking, so instead my boyfriend suggested we just drive up to a lookout point. We pulled over to a random spot along the road. My boyfriend had this look of excitement on his face, so I knew something was definitely up. As we scrambled up to a rocky lookout point, I turned around a big rock.......and there was a red couch, sitting on the edge of a cliff, in the middle of the mountains, overlooking a canyon!!! I'll admit, I started cussing haha. It was just so surreal!! Through tears, he proposed with a ring as we both sat on the couch on the edge of the cliff, and of course I said yes (he even yelled at me for having my feet on the couch). Later on, my brother and two of my fiancee's friends popped out from a spot further down the road. They had somehow managed to carry the couch over the rocks and up to the cliff. I still can't believe that they pulled it off!
Needless to say, I am sitting on a beautiful red suede couch as I write this, and scouring SMP everyday as I plan my wedding to the most creative and thoughtful man in the world!
My amazing fiance Keith is always surprising me with little treats - he's so wonderful and whenever I think about his proposal it brings tears to my eyes. He is so very, very thoughtful. Here's what happened . . .
He was receiving a teaching award (he teaches special-ed in a Chicago public middle school), but he wasn't given additional tickets to the ceremony (and the tickets were $300/plate) so he suggested we meet afterward at a fancy hotel bar on Michigan Avenue (which is very rare for us). I got dolled up and met him on a corner and he suggested we walk along Lake Michigan for a bit - I seriously did not even suspect anything and that's where he proposed. With the most perfect, simple, adorable ring ever, I might add. Just a perfect white gold bow on a band. Anyway . . . then he suggested we have a celebratory glass of champagne at the bar in the W Hotel, which was right there. We rode up to their top-floor lounge, but it was super noisy and I suggested we go someplace more intimate. In the elevator on the way back down, he pulled out a room key, stopped the elevator and escorted me to a room he had gotten for the entire weekend looking out over the spot where he proposed. I thought I'd have to go home for my things until I realized he had stocked the bathroom with all of my toiletries. He confessed to watching me get ready for bed one night and he took notes!
The next day was a blur of complete indulgence - the room was full of gourmet snacks and he took me to a wonderful restaurant for dinner. He even watched 'Bride Wars' with me in the room! That Sunday was Mother's Day and he had invited my parents and brothers to meet us for brunch where we surprised everyone with the news. It was the single most amazing three days of my life.
We don't have a ton of money, but Keith is always thinking of small ways to make my days brighter. He makes me feel like the most incredible woman in the world - especially when I feel my lowest. Our Save-the-Dates were printed by Hello!Lucky and we get so many compliments. I couldn't stop staring at them as I stuffed envelopes - ha! I would especially love to send Christmas cards to Keith's family with his cute, little face on them!
How we met: my fiance Tim and I met online in the fall of 2003 when I was in college and interning in NYC. I went to school in Cincinnati, and he lives in Northern Kentucky, and he was searching random people on Friendster (the grandpa of facebook) and found me! Normally I ingored random messages from guys on there ("hey you're really hot"... blah blah say something interesting why dontcha??) but Tim made no mention of my photo but said how he noticed I liked the Flaming Lips and he did too. So, since my internship was a joke and I did nothing all day, I acutally wrote him back. Well that began a 3 month pen-pal relationship that led to us knowing each other as well as good friends before we even met face to face! He wrote me a book when his dog, Jerry, ran away (thankfully he was found and is now like our son) and I told him all about my wacko roommate, lets just say it was DRAMA. Anyway, once the internship was over and I moved back to Cinci he wrote me the shortest, but confessed later that it took him the longest, email ever to ask me to come see a band with him at a local bar. Well the rest is history, and 5 1/2 years later he proposed! If only we had known, we should have saved those emails!
How he proposed: Back in May, over Memorial Day weekend, we had a very lazy weekend but sunday morning he surprised me around noon by telling me to pack my bag cuz we were going somewhere. I had no idea where until we got there: we were staying at a B&B on the Elk Creek Vinyard down in Kentucky! I am a total wino so he knew this would be a perfect location. He asked them to stock the fridge with wine and champagne, and once we got there we opened a bottle to enjoy on the porch overlooking the hills of grapevines :) We basically had the house to ourselves and the vinyard chef came over to personally make us a steak dinner. It was so romantic! Tim proposed in the garden overlooking the hills, to which I jokingly said "no" and he said "not funny" lol! Then of course I said YES and he slipped on my gorgeous ring. It was the first moment I could tell he was nervous. We immediately called everyone, updated our facebook status via cell phone (cyber-nerds still, of course) and took a walk around the grounds with our wine glasses in hand. It was a perfect evening and so very like Tim to be so thoughtful and know what I'm going to love. We are now looking forward to our wedding next June 12, 2010!!
Kris and I met in the 4th grade, when I was taller and thought he had cooties. Throughout middle and high school, we had crushes on each other, but never at the same time. I think it was his sense adventure and awesome soccer skills that caught me eye. He finally asked me out during the summer before our senior year. We've been together for nine and a half years now! Unfortunately, our relationship has been long distance for the past two years since I'm away from home (Seattle) getting my graduate degree in Rhode Island.
Even though I knew we were getting married after my graduation, his proposal earlier this year was a complete surprise. I studied in Costa Rica during winter term and was scheduled to return on Feb. 13th. I was a bit bummed because Kris couldn't make it out for Valentines Day and instead was visiting a week later. After traveling by bus, plane and van for over twenty-four hours, I arrived at my apartment (at 3am) to find it decorated with rose petals and candles + Kris in a suit waiting to propose. He got down on one knee and proposed with a beautiful ring. Of course I said yes!
We're getting married in Seattle next July, ten years and a day since he first asked me out.
He threw my ring at me across a room and said "there - are you happy now?" - I was - we are married 13 years now :-)
My fiance, Joe and I met on a blind date that was set up by a friend I had met 1 week prior to our first encounter. The meeting was awkward for the both of us because we had a a small "audience" watching us interact with each other for the very first time. Despite all the uneasiness, the minute I laid eyes on Joe, I knew i would marry him one day. I know it is beyond cliche and cheesy but I really felt it my heart. We went our own separate ways that evening but we went out just the two of us exactly a week later and we have been inseparable ever since. He proposed on our third year anniversary on the pier. We have been married for a little over a year and are expecting our baby in a couple months. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful husband, he showers me with love daily and I couldn't be any happier. I am simply the most lucky girl in the world!!!
My fiance', Adam and I dated in high school, so our first meeting story really isn't that exciting nor romantic. Our first kiss story, on the other hand is one of my favorite memories. We had just come back from a football game and I was waiting for one of my friends to call to hang out. At this point, we had been dating exactly a week. It was my birthday, as well and we were still in the little awkward stage of our relationship. We sat in the front seat of his mother's van and chatted in the parking lot of our school while we waited. Then, the silence hit. He got very quiet and stared at me. I felt a little uncomfortable and tried to start conversation, but he just looked at me. Then, he started to lean in. We had never kissed before, and we both leaned over and had the most wonderful kiss of our lives! It was soft and gave us butterflies in our stomachs. It was like we had forgotten there was time. Until I glanced up. And saw a HUGE light in my face! It was the police and they were spotlighting us! Apparently there was a curfew in the high school parking lot. We still laugh about it and try to recreate the kiss every time we reminisce.
The first time I met Mike was two years ago, when I walked in late to my very first graduate class - Creative Nonfiction Writing - and had to take a seat at the back of the room. I remember thinking he had the best eyes, and was more than a little sad when our class was divided in half and he wasn't on my side!
I only saw him a few other times that semester (we were both working on our MFA in Creative Writing), and really got to know him the following January when we both worked as editors on the same campus publication. After a few months of flirting and office pranks (ala Pam and Jim!), we started dating. It was and is pretty epic, and in a few months, we're getting married!
Sometimes I think of that first semester, how I passed him in the halls or said hi at events; it makes me smile, and it makes me a little sad. If I would have known then what I know now, I wouldn't have missed a minute meeting my best friend!
For our first date we went out to a pretty casual Indian restaurant downtown. I wasn't that in to him to be perfectly honest - or I thought I was wasn't before dinner. At dinner I realized he was actually incredible and I was a total jerk for not realizing! We talked at that little table for over 4 hours (and ate and ate and ate). When they were really itching to close up for the night (they actually turned off all of the lights and put all of the chairs up on tables) we finally realized we needed to get going. Neither of us wanted to get up though because we didn't know what to do next - we were still having so much fun. When we got back to my house, he leaned over and I got really nervous. YES. I definitely liked him, but oh God - I HATE car-kisses. But instead, he told me he thought he "had a little bit of a crush forming on me" - I just about died. SO sweet. Anyway, when we were still at the restaurant someone had come in off the street and gave out these little match-book like things - that you would keep in your wallet or something. The one they gave us had a quote about finding love and never letting it go. After 4 years together he still has it - good as new - inside his top desk drawer. I love that memory - I think its pretty swoon worthy!
P and I have been together for 5 years......For the past year, our joke has been to casually catch each other in a moment that would seem like a "down on one knee proposal", HOWEVER, it would always turn into complete laugher with who could come up with the best idea to play it off....tying your shoe, picking something off the floor, bending down to stretch, etc. Well, one night....he really got down and I kept telling him "Get up....ok, the joke is over" BUT this time he didn't have a joke, he actually proposed. I was so surprised! It was perfect.
Even sweeter than the story of how my fiancee and I met is the story of how a mere one and a half months into our dating, i was at the day job we shared when I found out that my mother had a brain tumor. Carlos immediately swept me up and carried me outside, walked me home to my apartment, packed my suitcase, and took me to the airport. The surgery to remove the tumor was 2 days later, and 3 days later he was on a plane headed down south to be with me and my family. He met my father at his home at 1am, my mother as she was being wheeled out of intensive care the next day, and just about everyone we knew within the course of the weekend. He flew down every weekend after that until a month later, when I returned to the city. He then went with me every other week to help take care of my mother as she underwent aggressive chemotherapy. All this after a mere one and a half months. He later said that he already knew that early on that I was the women he wanted to be with and be there for. And he was. I asked him out on our first date by asking if he wanted to go on an adventure with me. I tease him to this day saying he had no idea of the adventure he was in store for! Four years, one 350 mile move, the birth of our son 3 days after the death of my mother later, we are more in love and stronger than ever. When he proposed to me at a cabin we had rented in the blue ridge mountains, Carlos said "We have been through so many changes together already, and there will be so many more. And I want to be beside you for every single one of them. I know you know the question already, but will you marry me?"
he was that punk kid with the eyebrow ring and i didn't take a second look at him when I met him freshmen year of college. A year later, he started pursuing me and told me he had liked me all along. !
Hi! Thanks for doing this. It gets me all goey inside my heart to remember:) Angel and I had been friends for 2 years and we knew that we loved each other but I waited until he made the move to tell me what he felt. We did not date, write to each other or anything like that, he just simply asked if he could call me and he told me that he knew I was the one that God had brought to his life and that his search was over. Yes, very, very, very old-fashioned which is the best part for me. He told me that he loved me and if I would marry him. I mean, I knew he loved me but I was soooo not expecting this in our very first private conversation. I should explain, although he is my neighbor, Angel is in the seminary and lives in the seminary dormitory and has many rules (no girlfriend, no phone... to name a few:) so this was pretty major that he asked to call me. Needless to say, my answer was yes because I already knew that he was the one for me. Oh and I have to add that nobody knew about us because my dad just happened to be the director of the seminary and it was just a sticky situation. Sooo I told him that I did not want a ring because 1. I could not wear it, because everyone would know and 2. His stipend is almost $50 dollars a month. He couldn't afford it. I told him that I did not need a ring to "validate" our engagement. The 2 months of secrecy were awesome. It was so exciting.... but alas, he spoke to my father a week before I was leaving on a 2 month all-expenses paid trip to Turkey and Europe (Work). My familiy had a "Bon-Voyage/Safe Travels" party and after a long evening of much food, fun and good wishes I was exhausted and ready to go to bed. I heard my name being called outside and it was Angel. I almost didn't go out but you know how it is when you are in love...so I went outside and he was standing in his yard and I in mine and he told me that he loved me and I am soo tired that I just look at him like "Are you serious? I need to sleep." So he tells me that he had a bon-voyage gift but I had to close my eyes. I was starting to get irritated, but I get like that when I need shut-eye and food, just an fyi I told him. So he hurried up his words and I finally closed my eyes. When I opened them he was holding my ring next to his cheek. I could not believe how perfect my ring was. Tears just ran down my eyes as I thought of everything that embodied that ring. He had been sent to be a visiting preacher during Easter week and it turns out that he used the offering that he had received that week to buy my ring! I saw his love for me and his unselfishness. I am still blown away. He really wanted me to have a ring. He also held the ring next to his cheek because he said that he did not want to miss a minute of my reaction. If he held it next to his eyes he would get to see my eyes the entire time. I thank God every day for letting me find the love that was made just for me!
grant was my college sweetheart. he was and still is the most beautiful man i've ever met. after i graduated from college in boston i moved back to my hometown of santa barbara. even though he had loved his 23 years in boston, he follow me to the west coast. a few months later we took a trip back to boston to see his family. he took me out to walden pond in concord, ma. it was february and the water was thickly frozen over. we walked out to the center of this wintry wonderland, he recited shakespeare's sonnet 18, got down on the ice and asked me to be his wife. yes and lots of kissing followed.
you can check out some pictures of it here:
http://ahntopoftheworld.blogspot.com/2009/11/frozen-pond-sonnet.html
Scott and I were going to college in a small Washington town, both at different schools. Mutual friends had planned a camping trip that we both were lucky enough to be on. I remember when I first saw Scott and how cute I thought he was, soon we were camping and started to chat. We hit it off and he gave me his phone number because he didn't have a cell phone to call me. The next day I called him and the day after we had our first date. School was ending soon and summer was approaching quickly. We decided to see what happened during the summer while we were back at our own homes. This did not last long since we were already in LOVE! Here we are almost 7 years later and getting married. It couldn't have been a more perfect proposal. Scott had sailed from long beach, ca to cabo san lucas with his cousin. His cousins wife and I met them down there for a mini-vacation. Little did I know that he had planned to propose and that the other couple new about it as well as our families and best friends. No one spilled the beans. I never suspected anything because he waited until the last night to propose and was so secretive the whole time. Our last day was very special, we had a couples massage, dinner, and then watched the hotel show. Later that evening around 10, Scott asked me to go on a walk on the beach with him. I thought nothing of it because that is a typical thing for us to do. We were walking along the beach with the waves crashing and the city lights shimmering. There was a full moon with the reflection on the ocean. Holding hands and talking Scott said that he loved me and of course I said it back. He then proceeded to bend down on one knee and tell me that he loved me so much that he wanted to marry me. I was shocked!!! I said YES with enthusiasm and then couldn't stop jumping up and down. He had a ring box that had a light built in so that I could see the ring in the dark. We stayed down on the beach and walked a little more. When we were walking back to the hotel fireworks started to go off. It was a perfect proposal and I am so excited to be his wife and continue to be his best friend.
Ahhh I wish I had a story of love at first sight or total romance but I was actually out on a date with another guy and it started going terribly wrong. So after a few glasses of wine I snuck into the bathroom to call Dave (I had met him a few weeks earlier but we hadn't gone on any dates) to see if we could make plans so I could end my date after dinner. I'm not a very good liar so by making other plans I could easily say "I have plans with another friend" without feeling too much guilt.
Dave met me up the street at my favorite bar/restaurant and we hung out, sang along to kelly clarkson and had a few too many additional glasses of wine before calling it a night. Needless to say after screaming "Since you've been gone" with an almost stranger I thought that was the first and last time I'd see him. Much to my surprise (and delight) I received a text message in the morning quoting the song and asking me out for sushi later that night. Since then it's been two years of fun, excitment and great memories.
I would love to win this giveaway since it's our first year doing cards together...thank you for the opportunity!!
We met on a plane from London to New York - a choir that he sang in was flying to the UK to perform at Lincoln Centre and I was brought in last minute because a soprano got sick and I had a US passport and didn't need a visa. We were sat next to each other on the way over and the way back because of the alphabetical order of our last names. On the way over we talked for 7 hours straight and had a magical whirlwind weekend in New York, with an amazing standing ovation at Lincoln Centre for our performance - on the way back I fell asleep with my head on his shoulder. I woke up with his arm around me and a sneaky, gentle kiss on my forehead.
He had organized a lovely surprise proposal on Hampstead Heath on New Year's Eve last year but I ruined it by calling him from on the 30th to tell him I wasn't going to be able to get out of the office till midnight. I said we would have our New Year's Eve a day early and promised to make anything he wanted for dinner. He requested nachos and just as I was pulling the red-hot pan out of the oven I turned around and he was down on one knee in the kitchen with a ring box. I nearly dropped the pan, thank goodness I didn't as we could both have been burned! I just kept saying "Are you serious??" over and over, but he explained that he had told my grandmother he wanted to marry me and she told him to get a move on (she was dying of cancer and we were flying to Spain every week to visit her). We immediately called her and visited her but all she could do was squeeze our hands hard and put them together so his hand was on top of mine. She died a month later. She always sent the funniest christmas cards with no note inside, just lots of clippings from the newspaper that she thought we would be interested in which were usually recipes as we loved to cook together, so I'd love to send cards this year and think of her clippings and how she was saving them all year for me.
My fiance and I went to see Prairie Home Companion at Wolf Trap National Park for Performing Arts, where my fiance works. We had lawns seats and after enjoying a picnic dinner, were watching the show from our blanket. One of the first few songs that was performed was "Going to the Chapel." Will had worked the show the night before and knew this song was going to be played. In the middle of the song, I asked Will to crack the fingers on my right hand (its just a weird habit I have). Then Will asked for my left hand, got on one knee and asked me to marry him. During intermission, some of the people that had been sitting behind us during the show came up to congratulate us and tell us how great marriage is!
Hi! Thanks for another great give away and for letting us share our beautiful memories with others! (We girls really like to talk about these things :) )
Pablo and I met when I was 16 years old (way back in 2002!). I was a student participating of a debate tournament and he was one of the judges in my session. People always ask me if he let me win, but I have to admit I lost that debate!
We talked a little bit after the session, but I did not see him till that afternoon. Apparently he had been bugging one of my teachers about who I was, where he could see me in other debate... he even offered free debate coaching at my school!!!
My professor finally got the hint, and when Pablo offered her his e-mail, she told him to give it to me, as I was "in charge of the debate schedule" (I still don't know what to be in charge of the debate schedule is, but it turned out to be a pretty good excuse to give me his e-mail).
We started talking every night, first through MSN and then on the phone. We got along just fine: we finished each other's sentences, we shared the same tastes in music and movies... However, he told me in three years he was leaving for his PhD to the United States :( That seem a little bit far away, taking into account we are from Argentina.
Nonetheless, we could not ignore the sparks between us, and we decided to give it a try.
Seven years have passed, and we still are together: Pablo is a student at NW (prospective PhD in Economics) and I'm filling up my applications at this very moment.
His last birthday we spent together (in 2006), he started telling me he never wanted to lose me, that he could not picture his life with anyone else than me. I was very sensitive because of his leaving so soon, so I told him not to say those things if he did not mean them. He said he did, and he got on one knee. I think that what I loved the most (apart from the fact that the person I was in love with was proposing!) was the spontaneity of the whole thing... it had not been planned!!!
I am so excited next year our life together finally starts! After four years apart, I cannot wait to hear his keys when he comes home to me.
My boyfriend and I had been dating for 8 years when he proposed. We started dating when we were only 14 years old. By the time we got engaged, we had grown up together and had become an integral part of each other's lives.
For the engagement, he collaborated with my entire family and surprised me while I was on vacation. When I got back to my hotel room one evening the room had been decorated and music was playing... I knew what was coming. It was simple, beautiful, and exciting.
The best part came a few hours after the proposal. After the calls had been made, after the pictures had been taken, after the champagne had been popped, we managed to sneak away from everyone. Finally alone, by the beach, listening to the waves we both fully realized what had just happened. We had grown up together, and that day we had decided to also grow old together. It was the most powerful and meaningful moment of my life.
I had just been admiring their Christmas cards yesterday! This is the story of how I met my husband, in his words off our wedding website...
Just three short years ago, no one could have guessed that some Yankee (really a Red Sock) from Boston and a Southern Belle from South Carolina, would be where they are today. It all started in May 2005, when Jim took a break from his position at the Boston Red Sox (after being part of the first World Series in 86 years!) to take a job as a whitewater rafting guide on the Chattooga River. His mother warned him to be careful, telling him he'd probably meet some Southern sweetheart and fall in love and never come back to Boston. Needless to say, Jim laughed at that thought.
Fast Forward to September 2005, two weeks before Jim planned to head back to Boston. After a long Friday night at the Journey concert (yup, they still tour) with college roommates Greg and Alex, Greg and Jim willed themselves to make the 3 1/2 hour drive to Clemson to meet up with Jim's co-worker, Allison, to tailgate before the Miami game. Allison had told Jessica that a couple of her co-workers might stop by. Recalling the friends that Allison had brought around in the past, Jessica prepared for the worst.
Having never been to Clemson alone on game day, Jim and Greg parked about 3 miles away from anything, and wandered aimlessly as Allison's phone went unanswered. Finally, after 45 minutes (and the start of the game), Allison flagged them down. And that is where Jim first laid eyes on Jessica--sporting the most amazing orange dress he had ever seen. That sight made him an instant Clemson fan.
As the group began talking, Jim laughed to himself at Jessica's high voice. Jessica laughed to herself about Jim's crazy accent. They hit it off almost instantly, but Jim needed something to break the ice with Jessica. And that's when it came: "I want that." Having been one of the first people in America to see Napoleon Dynamite in the theater, Jim got the joke the instant Jessica said it. Impressed with the compatible sense of humor, Jessica quickly realized the potential.
Jessica immediately taught Jim some valuable lessons about the Clemson tailgate scene. She began by bringing him over to a nearby tailgating spot, where a fan who had actually gone into the game had left out some ham sandwiches and chips. Jessica instructed, "People leave this stuff out here because they want other people to eat it. That way, they don't have to pack it up when they leave." Armed with that gem, they hit a few more tailgate spots on their walk to watch the game. Jim tried to impress her with some sweet rolling cooler tricks and spins that he had picked up along the way. Unfortunately, there was a mishap, which littered the sidewalk with ice, drinks, and food. Jim clearly needed Jessica's teachings.
The rest of the day was pretty uneventful. Jim and Jessica shared hot dogs with ketchup, mustard, and mayo; then she wrote "I want that" in big letters on Jim's T-shirt; then Jim gave Jessica a cooler ride; then Jim got hit by car driven by a Miami fan; then Jessica yelled at an old man; and somewhere in there, Clemson lost to Miami in OT.
But that perfect day was the start of an incredible relationship, an amazing bond between two people. Jim and Jessica have been inseparable from that day (except for that year where they did the long distance thing between Boston and Columbia), and they are truly ecstatic to be tying the knot on May 16 and to share the moment with all of you. Jim's mom may have been right-- he did meet and fall in love with a Southern belle on his foray below the Mason Dixon line. But at least there's a direct flight between Charlotte and Boston!!
I had a busy week- dinner plans with friends, lots of work- and plans to go with my mom and aunts to visit my sister at college that weekend. My boyfriend, Brian, kept asking to do something before I left but I had no free time. Thursday morning my friend Amy called to cancel dinner because she was sick, so I called Brian and told him we could get dinner that night. I had no idea it was all part of his elaborate plan!
We went to dinner at our favorite Italian restaurant, then came back to my parents house (we both lived home at the time). Brian asked if I wanted to play Scrabble. I said sure, but was preoccupied Christmas shopping in catalogs. I told Brian to get the game set up- and when I looked at the board, I saw that he had placed the tiles to say "WIl you marry me Christine". I was so surprised that I broke out in hives and didn't say anything for five minutes! I finally got my wits about me and said "Of course!!". Brian asked my friend to cancel dinner and chose that day so that I would spend my first engaged weekend with my sister :)
We both lived in Amsterdam and shared an apartment. During the first six months we became friends, but it's safe to say that in the beginning we had no interest whatsoever towards each other beyond friendship!
However, as we became friends I started to realize what a wonderful, warm and considerate person he was. As a result I fell in love with him -badly! For months I couldn't sleep properly and my appetite seemed to disappear. It was the worst kind of case of falling in love! But I knew that he had had his eyes on someone else and I didn't dare to tell him about my feelings. I didn't want to lose the wonderful friendship we had.
In the end I gave up the hope that anything beyond friendship would ever develop between us. I started to search for another place to live in, in order to get some distance to him.
Just before Christmas I started to notice him behaving oddly. I thought he might be sick as he didn't seem to have any appetite and was distracted and moody. After returning from my Christmas holiday in my home country he simply told me to sit down as he needed to tell me something. And what he had to say was that he was completely in love with me, had been for a while and would do anything for us to be together!
We have been happily together ever since. A year later, a day before Christmas, we moved into our new home. And this year our first child is due in the days before Christmas! Christmas definitely holds a special importance for us and it's probably no wonder that now I also dream of a Christmas wedding!
My (now) fiance's parents decided to take us on a trip to Vicenza Italy to visit my fiance's brother, sister-in-law and niece. The trip was 12 days and we traveled to Rome, Vicenza, Verona, and Venice and even snuck in a little 3-day trip to London to visit my family. It was quite a whirlwind of a trip that started with 3 days in Rome. On the 3rd day, we packed up our bags and decided to stop by the Colosseum before we headed down to Cinque Terre. After leaving our rental van (with all of our bags in it) for 4-5 hours, we came back to a completely empty van! We had been robbed! Needless to say, my fiance freaked out because he thought the ring was in our luggage and the excitement of proposing to me in Cinque Terre quickly dissipated. Thankfully, my fiance's dad slipped the ring into his camera bag before we left because he didn't quite trust leaving it in the van. All was saved thanks to my future father-in-law!
My fiance left for London for a couple of days after the Rome fiasco and came back to Vicenza to spend more time with his family. The entire family decided to head to Verona to see Juliet's courtyard (Romeo and Juliet) and Juliet's statue. Legend tells us that if you rub Juliet, you will have luck in love for a lifetime... My fiance and I get to the courtyard, wait in a long line and finally we get to take a picture with the statue of Juliet. Seeing as how the line was getting longer and longer, I decide to jump off and as I'm practically running away, my fiance grabs me by the shoulder and turns me around. He is down on his knee with the ring and the first thing I said was "Are you kidding me?!?" :) He says, "No, I'm not kidding - will you marry me?" Of course, I burst into tears and say yes - his entire family was there to witness it and take pictures, not to mention every single person waiting in line to take a picture with the statue was applauding. It was a truly amazing experience and definitely the most romantic experience for me!
My fiance spent a lot of time planning for the proposal. I had expected something might come on June 10, our annivesary, but he did it earlier, May 31 and totally caught me off guard! He snuck out early in the morn and set the alarm to wake me up (on a Sun morn nonetheless!). At the alarm clock was a card with a poem that let to the next card and so on and so on. He had hidden 7 cards all around the apartment! The last one told me to call him and come home so I did and he was at the door in seconds. turns out he was sitting in the stairwell eagerly waiting! He had a large box and I thought, this must be it! But it turned out to be a camera (a very nice one but still, I was disappointed). However at the bottom of the camera box was another card with a sweet poem and that's when he got down on one knee and proposed. Hooray!!
My love of my life, my fiance (Giovanny) and I went to New York City for our Canada Day Long Weekend (similar to your 4th of July Weekend). I was excited more for him, as he had never been to The Big Apple! He was asking me all sorts of questions such as, "What place do you love the most?", "What do you want to see?" "What's Central Park, and why is it so famous?".
It was Saturday June 28, 2008 at approximately 6pm. He was acting really lovey dovey all day, but I noticed that he was getting nervous! I asked him if he was okay, and he said that he just needed to sit down (we've been walking around Manhattan the whole day). We were sitting outside of the Apple Store, right across from the the Plaza Hotel and Central Park. He asks me, "Is that Central Park?" I said, "Yea, it is; it's gorgeous; it's a huge urban park. It's so romantic". He said, "ok, let's go check it out" I asked him if he was sure, given the fact that we'd have to walk- and he told me that we could take the horse and carriage :)
So, we rented the horse and carriage, and we were riding along the pathway, and the guy driving it was telling us stories about celebrities who frequent the park, etc. I was looking around and admiring the sights when I noticed that Giovanny wasn't saying anything anymore- I looked at him, and he said to me, "You know how I told you that this trip was going to be special?", and I said, "yes, it already is; we're having a great time", and he told me, "Well...(going into his pocket)...you know that I love you alot, and....I want to spend the rest of my life with you"...OMG- and then he took out a beautiful ring :) I was shaking! I said, "oh my God...I don't know what to say!!!" and then the driver of the horse and carriage said, "I think you should say yes!", and then I said, "OMG- of course, yes! Yes!!!!" and then I hugged and kissed him, crying because I couldn't believe that we're finally going to be married :) We've been together for 9 years, and have never broken up.
And the rest is history :)
(I still get teary eyed to this day, even as i write this!) LOL!
I like to call him the Invited Wedding Crasher because we met at my sister's wedding in San Fransisco. He was not on the original guest list but was friends with my now brother in law's cousin who was invited to the wedding. They had planned a trip to check out a university that coincided with the wedding and asked if he could come, if not he would meet up with his friend later.
We were told he was a marine, had just been released from the hospital after being injured in Iraq on his 2nd tour of duty. It was 1 month before the wedding so it wasn't an issue to add him to the table next to his friend.
The wedding day arrives and I'm running around as my sisters MOH and I see a guy dressed in the marine Corps dress blues, def nice to look at, but I didn't do anything at the time. Later at the reception, the priest who performed the ceremony approaches me and tells me he has someone I need to meet. He pulls me out of my chair mid bite and brings me up to the Marine. The priest tells me that he is too old to dance with me, but this man is perfect!
So we danced 2 dances and decided that all the younger people at the wedding were going to meet up later and hang out in down town San Fransisco... sadly, I didn't see him again that night.
! week later I get a phone call from my brother in law, who got a call from his cousin, who got a call from the Marine, asking if he could have my number! So I said yes and my number was passed back down the line to him. I received a call soon after and within a week we planned our first date!
That was over 4 years ago and we have been together since and still going strong.
Oddly, if he hadn't been injured in Iraq, he wouldn't have been in the US, he wouldn't have met his friend, he wouldn't have been at the wedding, and we never would have met. Its amazing to see how good things can come from not so good situations. I love him so much.
Good luck to whoever has to read all of these and then pick a winner! I don't envy you!!
On to our story...
My husband and I don't have a romantic story about how we met--it was at work. But I knew right away we were destined. SO, I made my best friend make up a sercret admirer e-mail address and for a couple of weeks we sent anonymous e-mails to his work e-mail in order to get to know each other better except I thought he didn't know who was doing the e-mailing. Turns out he knew all along. So after we knew each other's favorite color, holiday, religion, and political preference (in no prioritized order, mind you), we went on a "date" at midnight one night. The date was a walk in the park that ended in both of us getting ticketed for violating a city ordinance (who knew you couldn't go for a walk in the park after midnight?!).
A short two months later we were picking out rings.
My husband picked the ring and put it on layaway at the store so that he could gather up the financial means to purchase it. In that time, I would make excuses to take trips to the store to "visit" my ring and wear it around the store and chat with the sales people. They were almost as excited as I was. One day around 2:30 I took my best friend to the store to show her the ring.
That day was an exciting day for me because the mister and I were planning on going on a "hot date". Most of our dates included mac and cheese and cable television, so we were going on a rare out-of-the-house date to a fancy restaurant (that was a surprise for me). I bought a new dress and got all pretty--another rare occurance.
Little did I know that at about 4:00 that afternoon, he had gone to the store and picked up my ring. He got to my house around 7 to pick me up. He brought me a long stem red rose and wisked me out the door. My roommate stayed behind to pull off the rest of the evening.
Dinner went great, but because the weather was so treacherous (this was December 7, 2007 in Kansas and there was an inch of ice on the ground and it was raining), we opted to just go home.
My hubby is far from romantic, and truthfully, so am I. However, the way he proposed was the kindest, sweetest, most amazingly movie-worthy proposal ever.
I was planning on changing into sweats and watching TV for the rest of the evening, but when I got home, my house had been transformed. My husband had left a dozen red roses on the back porch on his way in and my roommate managed to clean the house, line my stairway with candles, and decorated my bedroom with roses and rose petals....I was absolutely stunned. I'd never seen my home look so beautiful. After about five minutes of amazement, my husband pulled off the most appropriate proposal ever.
We were sitting on the edge of my bed, he reached in his pocket, pulled out the ring box and said, "Kari, you are the love of my life and I want to spend all of my days with you." I started crying before he could even ask me to marry him, so instead of asking, he just slipped the ring on my finger and the rest is history.
Not one single person has ever gone out of their way like that to surprise me. It was the most amazing night of my life thus far...it even tops my wedding reception.
AND these holiday cards are stinkin cute, so I hope my story gives you the right warm fuzzy because I'd LOVE for our family and friends to open their mail and see one of these stellar cards from us!
P.S. SMP rocks my wedding socks off!
We had just returned to our apartment in Houston after evacuating to Austin for a week for Hurricane Ike. I was exhausted, watching tv in my sweatpants and a baggy tshirt and my fiance pops up off the couch & declares he is going to make me dinner. This is not unusual so I think nothing of it. He makes us my favorite meal and during the middle of eating (i am completely stuffing my face mind you) he gets up and goes into the bedroom. He is in there for a little while and I think "maybe he had a bad shrimp or something" but no...he comes out gets down on one knee and tell me how much he loves me and wants to spend the rest of his life with me. Of course I said yes!!!
We love the story of how we met.
I was a teacher in New York City, on (a short) summer vacation.
He was visiting New York from Detroit with his band to play a show on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
On August of 2005, our worlds would collide. In what can only be called coincidence, many of my s NYC friends were originally from Michigan. One friend asked if I would be interested in seeing a Detroit band that she had seen before. It’s important to know that when this friend sees bands play, she ALWAYS stands in the front row.
I went to see this band, and they were really good and the show was a lot of fun! I smiled the whole time (later he told her that’s what he noticed about me). A different friend said to me during the show, “You should date the piano player. He’s cute.” What a silly thing to say, right?
At the end, the band's singer threw a t-shirt in the audience, and since I was in the front, I caught it.
After the show, he (the piano player), came up to me with a perfect pick up line, “I’m glad you caught the shirt.” I had done some research on this band before seeing the show, so I knew that someone from the band was DJing at a bar in Brooklyn two blocks from my apartment, and I thought she might go, so I told that to him. Well, it was he who was the DJ, and he claimed he didn’t know how to drive there, so it would be really helpful if I would ride with him. ”No”, I said, who did not make it habit to drive in cars with men she just met, but my friend, trying to be a matchmaker, said “Yes, she will.” He and I agreed that I would leave and spend some time with her friends, and if he was still there when I got back, I would drive with him. I left, came back an hour later, and he was still there.
So, we drove together to Brooklyn to where he and his friend were DJing. He did not play one single song, because we were very busy falling in love and holding hands.
Well, his band playing in New York again a month later, so we figured they’d see each other then. But, he flew back two weeks later, and again for the show, and then SI flew to Detroit, and so began two years of back and forth long distance romance before he became worth leaving New York for, and I moved to Detroit. Two years later, we got engaged at LaGuardia airport (another really great story).
We are planning our July, 2010 wedding in Detroit, but I'm kind of still hoping for a secret elopement to NYC's Lower east Side City Hall, just the two of us, for a private little ceremony in the place we met before the main event (shhh, don't tell).
We were both at a party. He had a beautiful sweater on, and I love to knit. I approached him to investigate the sweater further. He said I should make him one myself. Five years later, we are married and I am still knitting things for him. And yes, he did get a handmade sweater. :)
We started dating (after putting our feelers out there through friends, which is of course the way it's done when you are 16) on New Year's Day 1999. 11 years and one day later, we will exchange vows in our hometown in front of all of our friends and family on January 2, 2010.
New Year's and the holidays always have had special meaning to us, and we would be thrilled to send out some of these gorgeous Happy New Year cards to our guests!
John and I met through my roommate. The day after my birthday my roommate and John were going to have coffee that night, but I told her to invite him over to our apartment because we were already going to have a few friends come over for dinner. John brought over some wine and during dinner he and I talked and slowly people started disappearing from the table so that John and I could talk alone. At one point one of my friend shooed John and I out on the patio of my apartment where we a fire in fire pit. John and I just sat and talk for what must have been two maybe three hours. We hit off so well that night that we joke around that if we got along so well then we should run away to Ireland and get married. Well, four months later we were engaged and in March 2010 we will be getting married in a small church in Genecullen, Ireland. Since that night we have not spend a night apart. Life is full of surprises.
Our engagement was so simple. It wasn't the type that most girls swoon over. I was a dancer growing up and I absolutley loved the Rockettes. So for my "Christmas" gift last year Cody took me to see them live in Nashville. It was a great night. We had a great dinner and went to the show. Afterwards we decided to walk around the gardens at the Opry. We stopped on a ledge and he said the usual "I want to marry you". I replied with my usual "well give me a ring then." That's when he said "Okay!" and pulled it out of his pocket. It was a total shock! He proposed, I cried, we giggled and hugged, and it was absolutely perfect. I am so blessed to be marrying this wonderful man this coming May. Thanks for this offer you guys, it is great!
My finacee and I have always known we were life partners. We've been together though five years, many milestones and our share of life struggles and have always supported and loved one another. We knew that we would get married when we both felt it was right, but didn't want rush anything. We knew we'd be together whether we were dating, engaged or married, so our title didn't ever matter to us. This fall my 75 year old Grandmother was diagnosed with advanced stage pancreatic cancer. I am very close with her and have always known that she was excited for our 'some day' wedding.
After discovering her cancer was more advanced than initially diagnosed, and getting a death sentence of four to twelve weeks, we booked a plane trip home three weeks from that date and decided together that we wanted to get engaged. The day after finding out about her illness we went to a custom Jeweler in town and gave him the specifics for the setting to be designed around the heirloom diamond we already had. My fiancee and jeweler kicked me out of the equation from that point on. We both knew that he was going to pop the question in the next three weeks, but I didn't know when it would happen.
Finally, two days before our plane home, we decided to go to our favorite garden for a picnic. We went to Whole Foods beforehand to get our meal since we had both been working long hours that day and didn't have time to prepare any food beforehand. I knew in the back of my mind that he was going to ask me, because he let me pick out whatever I wanted (chocolate AND a key lime torte! cheese AND charcuterie?)
Once we settled our blanket and food out by the little lilly pad pond in the garden, we both initially tried to ignore the giant mosquitoes buzzing around our heads but then could not stop slapping our arms and legs. We hardly got two bites in before we decided that we needed to relocate away from the pond and garden to try and escape the bugs. We packed up our food and I turned around to pick up the blanket. When I turned around, a huge mosquito was biting my back and I yelled "Stupid Bug!" and slapped my back very hard, and there he was on both knees and said, "Kendra...Kendra...Focus. Before we go there's something I need to ask you" Where he then preceded to tell me how much he loved me and couldn''t wait to grow old together and then asked me to marry him. Of course I said yes.
We ended up having to go back home to eat our picnic on the living room floor because the bugs were too terrible at the garden. When we flew home later that week, I showed both my Grandma and my Grandpa, and she cried. She was so incredibly touched and couldn't stop smiling.
I just returned from her funeral last Friday, and through all of the sadness and reflection of her beautiful life I was content knowing that Matt was there for me every step of the way. Physically seeing how my family needed each other to get though last week, and how the love of two people created this family who depends on one another though thick and thin, is an extraordinary thing. Although the illness and death of my Meme was a terrible situation, it also showed us all the eternal love she and my Papa shared. That this one marriage brought forth so much life and love. And I couldn't help but be incredibly humbled by my own journey about the begin with Matt. He is not only my life partner, but I can now officially say he is my fiancee. The man I'm going to marry and love beyond death.
Graham (my fiance) and I are avid "concert" goers. As a couple our relationship began based on our love of music. We have been dating for 4 years and in those 4 years I couldn't even count how many bands we have seen together. Now that you have a small background of our love for music here is the good stuff... the proposal!
Friday August 14th, 2009
I get in my car to start my drive to work and there is a note on my steering wheel that says "just a little mix to get you through your commute" I didnt think much of it because Graham is sweet and does this for me on occasion... the mix was awesome but I noticed a timeline in the songs, I asked Graham about it later and he said it was just a coincidence so I thought nothing of it...
Saturday August 15th, 2009
I woke up at around 7am because I heard the TV still on. I rolled over and graham is wide awake watching TV. This is very unusual since Graham can easily sleep until 11am on weekends. I was too tired to think so I just rolled over and slept until around 9am. I woke up and the TV was off and graham was gone. I put on my glasses and noticed there was a note on my bedside table lamp shade. I noticed more notes leading me downstairs. Each note was dated with a concert ticket stub and on the back had a memory from each concert. At first I had no idea what it was all for, I was thinking maybe there was a huge concert I wasnt aware of and this was Grahams way of surprising me. As I made my way down the stairs I realized I look like a mess. I have bed head, in my PJ's and glasses! I get to the last note and it was for a concert we were going to that night. It said this concert was going to be different than all the rest. I looked over at Graham and he had the ring out. I don't remember anything he said, I just remember jumping on him and saying yes. We both laughed afterward because we both realized we were in our PJ's and ESPN was on tv. But thats totally us and it was just an amazing, thoughful way to be proposed to!
PS- the mix CD he made me were all the bands he used in the timeline of notes that lead me to him. From our first concert together till the one we were going to see that night. I listen to that mix every now and then, it will always remind me how thoughtful Graham is!
My fiance proposed on a sunny Summer afternoon on a little wooden sailboat off the coast of Gloucester, MA. I used to sail competitively but hadn't done so in 4 years so he suprised me by borrowing a family friend's boat for the afternoon.
We packed some sandwiches and chips in a cooler and set sail in our bathing suits and baseball hats.
When we reached a calm place in the bay i opened the cooler to get the sandwiches to find he had snuck in a mini bottle of champagne and two plastic champagne flutes. He then unzipped the tiny pocket on his bathing suit and pulled out a ring.
I was shocked and couldn't stop laughing. It was the perfect day.
Our story might not be romantic to other people, but it represents us to a T. We were both in our high school Physics class and I was working on an electrical diagram for my Battlebot (I promise I'm actually pretty social lol), and my fiance noticed me and started helping me out. Years later, he said he thought this was really sexy. Seven years later, he proposed, and we're getting married in two months! We're both engineers and huge nerds and love telling that story.
My fiance and I first met at the campus art museum where we both worked. I had been away for the summer and came in one afternoon to sign up for hours. I stopped by the cafe to grab a box of raisins and check out the cute new barista. He said he was closing up shop and couldn't sell me any raisins. I demanded the raisins and pointed out that I had exact change with tax - he could just ring it up tomorrow. My scrupulous fiance refused to break the rules, even for a girl he thought was pretty cute! A few weeks later he finally asked me out and we've been inseparable since.
Fast forward 5 years to our small Brooklyn apartment where my fiance proposed to me on the last night my law school finals. He came in and said "I think I owe you a box of raisins." I opened the box of Sunmaid raisins and found a beautiful ring!
My fiance is very romantic and a very thoughtful planner. So it should have come to no surprise that he planned every part of their super romantic and personal proposal.
The night before the proposal Parker told Christine that she and he had to go to the apartment complex they were moving to, and look at the all painting they did in their new apartment. Annoyed Christine said she would just do it at her lunch break. Parker, being very insistent, told her he had to come with her and they had to go at 4pm. After conceding Christine then insisted that she bring their dog Harry with her, so he could see the new place. "No" Parker finally said back to her after a bit of back and forth, for once Parker won a fight!
Christine headed out to the new place telling Parker she would just meet him there. When she got there Parker told her to just go right to the new apartment because the office attendant gave him the keys already. She walked up the stairs and there was Parker waiting at the door, dressed to the nines, meanwhile, she in a T-shirt and jeans.
Christine walked into the apartment to find hundreds, or what seemed like hundreds, of candles and flowers all over the living room. She heard their song playing in the background and saw wine on the mantel. Most girls at this point would know exactly what was going on, but not Christine. She knew Parker was romantic so she thought, "awe sweet, he is excited about moving in with me!", oops! Parker than pulled Christine over to the mantel insisting that they get a glass of wine. Christine looked up and saw a little box next the the bottle of wine, and knew.
Parker had a speech prepared, half of which he forgot. He got down on one knee and asked, "Will you marry me?". Christine kept saying "are you serious?" over and over again, then said "Yes!". She cried, he held her until she could breath again. And they were engaged.
After that Parker took the proposal to a whole new level. He had bought her, 12, yes 12 bridal magazines because he knew she would want to plan. He had brought all of her favorite black dresses from home, with matching shoes and make-up. He told her to get ready because they were going to dinner. So she quickly got changed.
They then made phone calls to all of her friends while waiting to go to dinner. Parker again sat there and smiled and held her close as she gushed over and over again. Then they headed to dinner, where he had arranged for all of their friends to be waiting for them! They laughed and talked the rest of the night over good food and wine. The perfect end to the best night of her life.
It was an amazing night and one that they will never forget. It was the night that two best friends got to finally say they were going to spend the rest of thier lives together no matter what.
Anthony is the boy next door...literally! He moved in when we were 8 to the house next door. Every summer we played huge games of flashlight tag with 15+ kids in the neighborhood. One night,when we were 10 we had our first kiss while hiding.
We remained only friends until after college when we were both living back at home and started hanging out which quickly led to dating.
We broke up a year later because we both felt as if we owed it to each other to make sure we were the right ones - marrying the boy/girl next door seemed too easy and we were still so young!
5 years later, we met for dinner in NYC and haven't looked back. We instantly knew it was right. We both never stopped thinking about each other and knew.
We are getting married at Blue Hill at Stone Barns in NY, right down the street from where we grew up and plan to have a after-party on the long driveway we shared.
Alex and I have the routine of always going to his appartment on Friday evenings and cooking together. One particular friday, we arrived at the apartment - which has a long hallway before you can actually "see" the beginning of the living room - and it was very hot. I mentioned this to him and he said "it's normal". He went ahead of me into the appartment while I put my slippers on, and when I arrived into the living room, he still hadn't put any lights on. A slideshow as playing, projected onto the wall, of a montage of pictures he had created of the two of us during the last six years that we have dated. Around the slideshow was an arch of photos he had stuck to the wall. It was beautiful and very touching. At the end of the slideshow, he got down on one knee, told me I was the woman for him, and asked me to marry him.
And that's how we got engaged.
We're getting married July 16, 2011.
It was last summer, my fiancee and I's last summer ever, and we decided to take one month and backpack all through Europe. While I hinted that Europe would be an AMAZING place to propose, the two weeks before we left we incredibly busy for him with work which led me to believe that buying a ring was probably the last thing on his mind (as I later found out his many 'work' meetings at 6 pm were actually with the jeweler). But none-the-less we hoped on a plane to Barcelona and we both knew it would be quite an adventerous month.
About five days into our trip, in Madrid, we were sitting in a museum when it dawned on me that he most likely wasn't going to propose of this trip. There was no way he was carrying a diamond ring in his backpack while we stayed in hostels with many strangers! It was at that point I gave up hope and my heart kind of sank.
Little did I know...two days later...on our second day in Paris he said we needed to be ready at 6:30 pm but wouldn't tell me why. I was a little suspicious but didn't want to get my hopes up too high. Promptly at 6:30, a tour van came and picked us up but I had no idea where it was taking us. We pulled up at the Eiffel Tower, went straight to the front of the elevator line and up to the first floor, where I quickly found out we would be having dinner.
After dinner, we took the stairs to the second floor where I was just so excited (my first time on the Eiffel Tower) that a proposal for whatever reason was not really at the front of my mind. When we got there, another couple we were with asked if we wanted our photo taken. Of course I said yes, and handed them the camera. When I turned to pose with my fiancee he was facing me (not the camera) and I began to realize what was going on. He said "You know you have been my best friend for a long time now..." and I started crying and can't remember a word he said after that. He got down on one knee, I said yes, and he slipped a ring on my finger.
We enjoyed a few more minutes enjoying the view and our newly engaged status before heading down for a riverboat tour on the Seine. After that, we hopped back into the tour van and got an excellent lights tour of all the big sights at night lit up. I couldn't have asked for a better proposal or a more amazing fiancee and I can't wait to make him my husband in June!
Ryan and I met at our company holiday party in an art gallery in 2006. We had both worked there, in the same office, for over a year but had never met until that night. We hit it off talking about a mutual love of Arizona State football and soon found out there was more we had in common.
We had both grown up in AZ and had attended ASU at the same time. We had taken most of the classes for our majors in the same building. I was in a sorority and Ryan remembers attending many of our events and since 2004 he had been living in the same condo complex as my aunt (who I visit almost weekly) just a few units away. We found out Ryan was baptized on my birth date, and that our parents have the same wedding anniversary, August 16th.
We could have met so many times before in college, at the office, but the night we finally did meet the timing was perfect and we have been inseparable from that moment on. We just tied the knot on October 17th and signed our marriage license in an art gallery - of course!
Two of my girlfriends, Ashley and Danielle and I were driving back late at night from the "Not So Silent Night" concert on December 13 2002, when we had noticed, or I had noticed, this very nice, big, blue Tahoe driving along us. The next thing I know our windows are rolled down and we are attempting to talk to one another (if you can talk to someone on the freeway, at midnight, going 70 MPH). That obviously wasn't working so Danielle encourages me to give him (this guy we know nothing about except the fact that we like his car) my number. I do. And he calls. (Ashley made it clear at the wedding- that I was not the kind of girl to do this kind of thing).
The following evening I get a call from Daniel, the random boy we met on the freeway and he asks if I'd like to meet up for coffee. Sadly, I could not meet up that night because I was at the Girls Mentorship retreat at Valley Christian. He was familiar with the school because his brother had gone to a dance with a friend of his from Cornerstone. You go to Cornerstone? I go to Cornerstone. This had to be sign. (Cornerstone was our church at the time).
It is now December 17th, school is over and my basketball game does not start for awhile so Ashley and I head over to Starbucks to meet Daniel. We find our seat and so does half of my basketball team, all strategically placed through out the coffee shop. The nice, big, blue Tahoe finds a parking spot and this handsome boy with dark brown hair walks through the door. I ordered my tall, caramel apple cider and he talked about ultimate frisbee. As it came close to time to go, my friends from the team, Joanna Aimee and Kadie made their exit jumping up and down in the parking lot, making everyone else inside Starbucks laugh. I'm pretty sure I turned bright red of embarrassment and Daniel had no clue what was going on behind him.
To make things even better, that following Sunday, I realized Daniel was the guy who always sat a few rows ahead of me at church and who I thought was way cute. We started talking more, spending a lot of time together (he even endured high school dances for me), and we became close friends and eventually realized we loved each other.
Six years, eight months, and ten days later after our first encounter Dan proposed. It was at Point Bonita Lighthouse looking out at the San Francisco city skyline where we shared our first kiss, our first "I love you" and some of our favorite memories together including our "I dos" at the Flood Mansion on October 10, 2009.
A lot of people have told me that I’d meet my husband in business school. My response “yeah right” since I hadn’t dated anyone for more than a month before I went. Before I started school, I signed up to hike the Inca Trail in Peru with some future classmates (that I had never met before). A report I wrote on Peru in the 3rd grade left me with a lifelong desire to hike the Inca Trail. Anyway, H and I were paired up as buddies by the leaders of the trip. We didn’t spend much time with one another, since he was ahead of me on the trail for the first 2 days and I for the last 2 days. Once we got back to civilization, showered (after 4 days), ate well and drank, we got to know one another.
Fast forward to 3 years later and we were planning a trip for my 30th birthday. I love to travel (I’ve been to about 60 countries) and wanted to take a big one to place we’d never been, but we had just bought a condo and wanted to save money for our future wedding (which we were paying for), so decided to go camping in Acadia National Park in Maine, where I had gone camping for many summers with my family. It was wonderful to take the man I knew I’d spend my life with to a place that meant a lot to me and my family. Anyway, we decided to go for a hike up to Mt. Cadillac, the highest point in the park. The views from the top are gorgeous, but I hadn’t hiked it with my family before. On the way up, we stopped by this little pond and I jokingly said “that would be a lovely spot to be proposed to”. That sort of stuff didn’t freak him out, since we had been talking about getting engaged quite often by that point. H told me he’d do it during the marathon (we ran our first one together 2 weeks ago!)…I was not into that idea, since we’d be sweaty and disgusting for our celebratory pictures. :) We got to the summit and decided to go back and sit by that little pond on the trail, since the top was teeming with people from the tour buses that were kind of loud (taking away from the quiet beauty of the site).
On the way back down, H turned to me and said “you’re the love of my life.” I was a little weirded out, since he never says stuff like that, but didn’t really think about it after about a minute. We got to the pond and were just chatting (and I was shivering!) for a while and I asked him if we could go back down to our campsite and sit by the fire. H said he just wanted to sit by the pond and enjoy the quiet for a little longer, so I did the same. After a few minutes, he got up to “pee” (really to get the ring out of his pocket) and came back. He said “you know, our relationship started on a camping / hiking trip” and I said something about how much fun that was. Then he said “well, it’s only appropriate that I…” and as he was saying that, he started to reach into his pocket. When he reached into his pocket, I was like “OMG, I think we might be getting engaged today!” and my eyes welled up with tears. Then he asked me to marry him (I was fully crying by this point). It was kind of an emotional rush and I didn’t remember him getting down on one knee and he didn’t remember if I said yes. Both actually happened. :)
I am not a jewelry person, so I had to keep looking at the ground to make sure I wouldn’t trip on any roots on the trail, since I was mesmerized by the gorgeous ring on my finger! On the way down to our tent, he mentioned he had booked a super cute B&B and made reservations at an amazing restaurant. Such a great trip! :) Not what I initially had in mind for my big 30th birthday trip, but much better!! I then had to wait for a day to call my family and close friends, since we were in the middle of nowhere and I couldn’t get a cellphone signal!
Sean and I met in grade school! We have known each other since we were 7-years old. However, we did not officially become a couple until our senior year of high school. We are going to be 24 soon! Sean worked at a pizza place and I worked at the ice cream store next door. We would trade items and started to hang out. We finally made it official the beginning of our senior year in 2004, and we have been together since! We are getting married this October!
How he proposed- It was Mother's Day and I was celelbrating with my mom's family at my cousin's home. We were all sitting around the patio visting when my boyfriend walked in carrying a gift bag and flowers. He walked over to my mom and gave her a hug and said "Happy Mother's Day!" I was sitting there thinking that I have the best guy in the world! I just thought it was really sweet for him to make an effort to come over there right after work and to bring a gift. Well my mom began opening the card and on the outside of the envelope it read, "The Best Mother's Day Gift In History!" My mom reads this aloud to brag to her sisters that she was getting the best gift ever! She opens the card and inside it says, "With your permission can I be your son-in-law?" Of course she said "Yes" and gave him a hug and began crying. At this point I still hadn't realized what was going on. So I get up and go over to read the card. I remember turning around to him and saying "That was very sweet of you!" I still hadn't gotten the clue yet. Well next thing I know he is getting the box out of his pocket and lowering to one knee. All of my aunts and cousins were cheering and laughing and crying! I can't tell you what he said I just know that I was laughing and crying to! Thankfully my aunt had a camera and caught it all for us! It was the Best Gift Ever!
We first met online as friends sharing a common interest in computers and anime/manga (we're such geeks!). He was from Maryland, while I was an island girl (Hawaii). We kept in touch for about a year online. When I learned he took a job interview here, we decided to meet up in person. It was , "Oooo!" at first sight (that's how I'd describe it). He took the job... but was relocated to Maui -- I live on Oahu. So every other week for about half a year, we would fly between the islands to visit each other over the weekend. He found a job in Oahu, and moved again.
The whole proposal thing didn't happen as I thought it would. Instead, I found an empty ring box sitting on the bed -- after numerous attempts on his part to get me to see it on the bed. I thought he was teasing me again because we had already picked out and purchased the engagement ring. I figured he wanted me to look for it, but he pulled it out of his pocket and held it out for me to slip on. *giddy* It's so sparkly!!
We will be married next August!! Can't wait!
Kris took me on a cruise for my 30th birthday and on the fist night, he "proposed" with an engagement STring that he had ripped off the comforter. He told me he wanted to marry me but didn't have enough money saved (yet!) for a ring, so the STring would have to suffice til then. The very next day I lost it while swimming. He teasingly lectured me about how I better do a better job keeping track when I finally did receive my ring...and that night, in his tuxedo, he got down on bended knee and told me he had found my ring! And I'm proud to say, I haven't misplaced it!
How Tom and I met is not so exciting. He was actually dating one of my good friends for a few years and we became friends then. We became close when Tom was diagnosed with bone cancer in December of 2007 and that's when our friendship turned into something more.
Tom was an ultrarunner before he was diagnosed with cancer. He ran many marathons and even an ultramarathon 50 mile race in the Florida Keys. During his fight with cancer Tom couldn't run though, obviously, especially since the cancer was in his knee. Tom is also in the Air Force so running was a big part of his life and not being able to run and stay fit was really hard for him. In October 2008, less than a year after his diagnosis and a few months since he had finished treatment, Tom decided he wanted to run the Marine Corps marathon, the last marathon he had ran before he was diagnosed with cancer. It was the first marathon I attended with him and really great to see him back doing what he loved. He was determined to be able to run the Florida Keys Ultramarathon 50 mile run by May and I told him I'd help him any way I could to help him reach that goal.
In May, just over a year after he had been told he had a 50% chance of surviving a year, we drove down to the Florida Keys for Tom to run in the 50 mile race. He carried the engagement ring with him the entire time and I had no idea! His plan was to propose as he finished the race. I drove with him all day as he ran the 50 miles, stopping every few miles to give him food and water. Jogging along with him when I could. By the time he was done it was about 11 hours later and we were both beyond exhausted so he decided the not to propose. The next day our reward for finishing the race was Key Lime pie and relaxing on the beach. At sunset, Tom found a quiet spot on the beach, got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. It wasn't a big crazy event or scoreboard proposal, it was very private and quiet, but it meant so much to both of us that we were there, Tom had finished his race and we faced all the challenges together and now would spend the rest of our lives together :) So it meant a lot ot us and was absolutely perfect :)
Andrew thought the Oregon Coast would be a perfect place for a proposal since it is where we met. He couldn't have been more right! He planned a "trip" for us to stay with his sister and her boyfriend (Stephanie & Colby) in Cannon Beach. We talked about going on a trip to the coast back in December, so I didn't think twice when the occasion actually arose. The plan was for Stephanie and Colby to meet us down there on Saturday morning. Andrew and I were going to drive down Friday night since we had a much longer trip to make.
On Saturday morning, I woke to Andrew saying he had to go get some things from the store. I was so tired so I just kept sleeping. Upon his return, Andrew woke me up by throwing open the shades and demanding we go look for sand dollars that instant. If anyone knows Andrew, they will understand why I just assumed that this was part of his normal everyday energy! Our hotel room was beach level, so all we had to do was step outside and walk over a small grassy hill to see the ocean. Once I got over the grass, I looked down to the beach to see the words "WILL YOU MARRY ME" spelled out in the sand. I turned to Andrew bent on one knee and said YES! After I accepted, I heard clapping and cheering from behind me. We were so surprised to find a handful of hotel guests on their patios watching the whole thing. The best part was that a few of them took pictures of our amazing moment and were kind enough to email them to us. Click on the link to download one of the pictures!
https://rcpt.yousendit.com/784718276/538112b89df8247ac038f4a1debe9fd4
We spent the rest of the day walking along Cannon Beach, checking out the shops in Seaside and just enjoying each others company. It was absolutely the most amazing and perfect day! We get to have another perfect day on August 28, 2010 when we get married!
My fiance and I have long had a passion for serving overseas. I work for a non-profit organization that provides humanitarian relief and medical care in east Africa and India, and we have a special project in Kenya, where we are building a village for AIDS orphans. The first time we served in Kenya together, we had only been dating for 6 months, but that trip was what really solidified our relationship. After spending a few weeks traveling across the world and serving in slums, seeing devastation and bringing hope, we knew we wanted to be together forever. Our favorite place was the village in Kenya, which was unbelievably beautiful. It's up in the mountains, have a huge river running through it, and is so green and lush. Of course, our favorite part about the village was being with the precious children there, one of which is my sponsor child. This summer, we went on our second trip to Kenya, this time bringing a group of our friends to serve with us. We spent a couple of weeks building and doing manual labor at the village in Kenya, and it was such a treat because we got to be at our favorite place while serving. Halfway through the trip, we had a day off and some time to explore the property and go hiking. My fiance took me down to the river, we climbed out onto some flat rocks in the middle of the river and sat with trees surrounding us and the sun streaming down on our faces. He proposed right there in the middle of the river, and when we got back to the village, our friends were waiting for us and threw us a big party! I couldn't have asked for a more perfect proposal.
A few weeks in advance, Marc suggested we take a weekend getaway to celebrate my birthday a couple weeks late- because he had to work the weekend of my birthday. I asked lots of questions about what the weather would be like and what I would need and he led me to believe it would be a casual weekend, somehow getting me to think, without lying at all, that we were just driving to upstate NY to a B&B as we had done before. I got home from a stressful Friday at work to find him at my place ready to go-I finished up packing (asking multiple times how many snacks I would need for the car ride!) and joined him on the couch when I was ready. He started telling me beautiful things about our future together and asked me to marry him- I was SO SURPRISED- and thrilled. He opened a half bottle of champagne, and gave me one rose to take with me on our weekend away. Marc hailed a taxi and gave the driver a piece of paper to tell him where we were going- I assumed we were going to pick up a car to drive upstate! To my absolute shock- we ended up at JFK airport with Marc ushering me through security telling everyone who checked our tickets- 'she doesn't know where she's going- don't tell her where she's going!' and when we arrived at the gate I found out we were off to Paris for the weekend. He booked us a beautiful, romantic hotel, had luxurious meals and other things planned for us, and it was absolute heaven. I feel so lucky to be his wife as of September 6th 2009!
My fiance was actually my tour guide on a work related outing. I worked for McDonald's corporation at the time and he was the marketing manager at the local Ronald McDonald House Charities. Arriving late to the tour with some of my co-workers I swooned when I saw a handsome blonde was going to be the guide. I got his business card and asked him out the next day- we've been together ever since.
Josh's proposal was one for the books, he enlisted the help of nearly 30 people to pull off the biggest surpirse of my life. He sings in a local mens choir and they perform around 10 concerts a year in and around Minneapolis and their spring concert was in a small tourist town called Stillwater in April of this past year. The year before we had gone to Mexico and he said since we couldn't afford a big vacation this year, he wanted to do a fun weekend away in Stillwater while there for the concert. He booked a room at the local bed and breakfast and we spent that Friday going to local shops and having a nice dinner.
The next morning I went downstairs to greet both our parents and some friends I had invited to the concert. Some of the other guys in the choir had invited their spouses and kids so everything felt like a normal concert out on the patio of the hotel. They sang a few songs and then invited me on stage for a seranade. Halfway through the song they began to change the words to "where is that wedding ring?" Josh got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I was in such shock that at first I was confused. He pulled out the ring and I just started crying. The whole audience erupted in cheers as I said yes, people on the street nearby even stopped to whoop and holler.
As the song ended, Josh turned me around to see my twin sister who I hadn't seen in months! He had flown her and her boyfriend in from Chicago just to see the proposal. By now I'm a wreck, tears every where when I see the choir guys packing up. There was no real concert! All 20 guys in the choir willingly drove an hour to put on a tuxedor, sing and spend half their Saturday helping Josh ask me to marry him! I've never felt so loved in my entire life, it was a proposal for the books!!
My finace and I have known each other since middle school so I can't even begin to think of when we first "met"...in fact I cannot even remember not knowing him. He was one year older than me and we were both friends with a brother and sister and used to stay over at thier house at the same time...who knew then that years later we'd be getting married?!! Several years later we reconnected and found that we were both going to graduate school in NYC and that was the begining of our story. Our parents became instant friends from visiting us so frequently together. I really think if it weren't for them we wouldn't have spent so much time with each other. We started as friends and then began dating seriously...fast forward another few years and as we were about to head off for a vacation to meet our families he proposed in our apartment with the beautiful views of NYC around us! I honestly don't remember much of what he said (I thought he was giving me an early birthday present...which I guess he was!) but I remember saying yes and thinking I could not imagine being with anyone else. And then we hopped on a plane and spent the next few days of engaged bliss with our parents, who I like to think of as our own personal matchmakers!
My fiancé and I first met in 8th grade and it was only after we were looking through old pictures in High School that we realized we had actually went to pre-school together also. We were always friends, but didn't get together until after I had graduated college. He is the love of my life and all those years never knew it. After five years of dating, we finally decided to take an actual vacation with just him and me. We decided to take off for 10 days and head to Hilton Head Island. On our first night, we eat dinner on the beach while a beach wedding was taking place. My fiancé asked me what would be wrong with a beach wedding and I just rolled by eyes and smiled, but nothing came of it. Later that evening, we were on our balcony overlooking the ocean and I was googling things to do on the island when he asks me again what would be wrong with a beach wedding? My response was well first it would be hard for all of our families and friends to make it to a destination wedding and second, we weren't even engaged! At this point I'm still not paying attention to him when he says well I have the second one covered. I turned to look at him and my mouth dropped open. He had a ring box and I started sobbing because I really couldn't believe he had surprised me! I was dumbfounded!!!! Not the most romantic proposal, but if you know my fiancé it's romantic for him.
Liam and I met our freshman year in college during our first class ever as college students, Latin 101. I was late for class (typical), wearing a bright pink skirt, black tank top and leopard bra strap peeking out. In other words, a hot mess. Regardless, I caught Liam's eye and we immediately became fast friends, together all the time. Throughout freshamn year, people always assumed we were dating because we were always together, but we were just best friends. He was actually dating another girl who did not attend out college. Fast forward 4 years later, we started dating our first offical day of classes senior year and we have been inseperable since. He is the bread to my butter, the penaut butter to my jelly. Fast forward to Christmas 2008, Liam's first Christmas with my family back in New Hampshire. Liam woke up very early Christmas morning and came into my bedroom. He woke me up and told me he wanted to give me a present. Being the cranky morning person I am, I told him to go back to bed, we don't wake up this early to open presents. He proceeded to turn on the light (which really got me fumed because once you turn on the light, then you can't really fall back asleep) and I proceeded to tell him this. I looked at him as his eyes began to tear up and he told me how he couldn't imagine walking down the aisle to forever and not seeing me there. I soon realized that this was the BIG moment, my happily ever after. So, early Christmas morning of 2008, Liam gave me the best Christmas present ever...and he was even able to ignore my morning breathe and bed head. Match made in heaven:)
I first met my fiance when I was a sophmore in high school. I went to an all girls high school in NYC, and he went to an all boys high school a few blocks away. I went to a dance his high school hosted on March 31, 1999. I still have the invitation saved! Apparently he was entranced by my glittery green eyeshadow and long red hair. He approached me and asked me to dance. After a few dances, we went off to a corner to talk, and we ended up spending the whole night chatting away! We exchanged numbers, and ended up going on our first date that weekend. Many more fabulous dates followed, and he would pick me up from school everyday and we'd stroll through Central Park on our way home. We dated all throughout the rest of high school, until my sophomore year of college, when I decided it might be best for us to date other people. Well, after a few years of dating other people, we both realized how much we missed each other. In May of 2007, we started talking and hanging out again, and our relationship reignited! We moved in together in September of 2008, and on Christmas Eve, 2008, he proposed by hiding my gorgeous sapphire ring in our christmas tree to find while opening presents. I'm so excited for our October 2010 wedding. I'm so glad I get to spend the rest of my life with him!
My fiance and I officially met in a study group for our personal income tax class during finals our second year of law school. However, for weeks and weeks before our meeting I had noticed this cute guy walking around the school and (I now know) he had noticed me and had been trying to get an in. I had no idea (neither did he) that we'd both be in the group the day. I walked in the room and the first thing I thought was "oh no! I wish I had bothered to do something with my hair or put on some make-up." Luckily neither of us was put off by the finals unshowered, ratty clothes look. We went out for a drink after our final, met up at a party two days later and the rest was history. 16 months later he proposed and now we're planning our life together (and excited to file joint income tax returns next year)!
On the evening of December 28th, my fiance and I went out on what seemed to be a simple movie date. After the movie my fiance said he was in the mood for some onion rings. So we drove up to a diner. He then said that he didn't want to go home, but enjoy the rare moderate weather for December. So we drove down to the F.D.R. Memorial right on the banks of the Potomac and took a seat overlooking the Washington Monument, Smithsonian and Jefferson Memorials. We sat and playfully our onion rings, and with the last one my fiance took it and told me that he remembered when we first started dating I said that I didn't need any fancy diamonds or expensive ring, the only ring I needed was an onion ring. He then placed it on my finger and let me admire it. I laughed, said thank you, and then frowned. "But I have to take it off to eat it, its not gonna last" and before he could say another word the onion ring was gone, jeje.
The only words uttered after that were "Yum". The calm winds from the water began to give us chills. To warm ourselves up we walked around the memorial admiring the waterfall and beauty of the light hitting the water. My fiance walked me over to a lighted area nearby and said "well I know an onion ring didn't last, but maybe this will" as he proceeded to show me the little black box with my ring! Then he got down on one knee and asked "will you marry me..."
My brother invited me on his boat one Saturday. I didn't feel like going but went anyway. When we got to the lake we were waiting for his friend, Ryan (now my fiance). Ryan finally showed up and quickly introduced himself. He was very polite. We chatted on the boat and a couple hours later I left to go to work. Ryan said that maybe he would stop by (I was working at a bar in the city). I found myself looking for him all night while I was working and when he never stopped by I was bummed. I later found out he did stop by but for some reason I missed him.
A couple weeks later my family and I were driving to NYC for the weekend to see the Yankees/Pirates game. We had an extra ticket and my brother asked Ryan to go. Ryan, who is not shy, said yes. I couldn't believe this guy was going to drive 8+ hours in a minivan with people he never met. But to my surprise he fit in perfectly and we had a great weekend. On Sunday while driving home, I was playing with Ryan's computer and decided to leave him my phone number on a virtual sticky note so he would find it later. He called me the next day and we've been inseperable ever since.
Flash forward 2 years...It was our anniversary and I randomly decided we should go to the Pirates game since it was so nice out. After the game we walked around the city and as we were walking I saw this couple getting engagement pictures done. I of course stopped to watch secretly hoping that will be me very soon. Later in the day we went to the movies and driving home I noticed Ryan's hands were clamy. In the 2 years I've known Ryan he NEVER had clamy hands. He denied it and I thought nothing of it. We got home and he said he has one more surprise for me. He directed me in the computer room and on his computer was a virtual sticky note. It read, "It all started with a note so I thought the next chapter should start with one too...open the drawer." I opened the drawer and there was a sticky note attached to a box that said Will you Marry Me?.
It was the best day of my life. The best part was that it wasn't planned. He told my family and his he was going to ask in 2 weeks but he said the day went so perfect that he couldn't wait. Needless to say when we called our parents they were shocked too!
Here it is short and sweet! Trust me you don't want my long version!
David and I had been dating long distance for 2 years - he was in med school in the Caribbean - and we only got to see each other every three months. His break to come home happened to be perfect timing to celebrate our 2 year anniversary. Plan was - pick him up at the airport and spend the weekend at the lake house! Easy, right?! I'd been counting down the days, then hours, then the minutes to pick him up from the airport...he called and said he had missed his flight, that he had made it on another one, but that I needed to turn around and meet him at the lake house...by myself. 1. I was ticked that I was in stand still traffic at 5pm in Dallas 2. I was ticked he didn't call me earlier to tell me he had missed his flight 3. I'm terrible with directions and there was no way I was going to make it to the lake house without him and 4. I was crying because it was past my count down, and I still wasn't getting to see him! Well after turning around 3 times and a couple of bathroom breaks, I still wasn't there. One of those, so close but still so far away. I finally pulled over and told David just to come find me! Didn't exactly work the way I wanted it to, but he talked me thru it and I eventually made it to the lake house. After calming down, he asked if we wanted to exchange anniversary gifts! (Side note: we had made a fun budget of $35 to do something creative for each other!) Well after my drama, it was fitting that I got my gift first right?! He blind folded me and took me out to the patio. Opened my eyes and there were candles and roses every where, covering the patio, all the way down the steps to the dock, covering the dock and floating in the water. The first thing that went thru my head was, "man he must have found a really good deal because there's no way this was within the budget!" (David was adamant that we wouldn't get married until he finished school, so I was completely oblivious! And he had been home and entire day setting up and I had no idea...) When we finally made it down to the dock he told me all kinds of sweet things, said he had been praying for his wife since he was 16 and then got down on one knee! I can't even put it into words! I said yes and didn't even look at the ring. (He had the whole thing video taped.) After a few minutes, he asked if I wanted to call my parents to tell them the exciting news. I made the call, but both families were already at the front door waiting for us with champagne and cake! It was perfect! We'll be celebrating 2 years this February. (And just in case you were wondering, I did give him my gift and it was an antique steel airplane for his desk with love notes hanging from it! His gift won!)
My father was an electrical engineer prior to retiring. In 1989, when I was four, he landed a job with a company. This took us to Augusta, Georgia for a time. The man who hired my father was a gracious and fair boss to my dad. This man had a wife and two boys- the oldest whom was four years older than I. Our families became friends, went to church together, and frequented the local Olive Garden whenever we had the chance. I vaguely remember the feeling of intimidation of this man's older son-after all, he was a "big kid" and I was just a little tiny thing.
We lived in Augusta for a brief period and eventually both my family and this man's family moved away. However, our families always kept in touch via Christmas cards. Year after year I watched as this man's older son grew and how handsome he was becoming. I distinctly remember standing in the kitchen with my mother the Christmas of my junior year of high school looking at this man's older son and saying, "Mom! Look at how cute this boy is- whoever ends up with him will be a lucky, lucky girl!!" However, high school boys quickly captured my attention and this man's son flitted away from my mind. Eventually, it was time for me to go to college. I chose a school in a state far from where my family was living. Little did I know, it was the same state that this man's oldest son was beginning medical school.
College truly was a wonderful time. I dated here and I dated there. I always wanted these heres and theres to be the relationship to last me a lifetime, but they were not. I believe I was too immature, too eager, and too desperate for these things to work out. The April of my junior year in college I received a telephone call from my mother. She told me that this man and his family were moving just up the street from where my family was living. My mother then told me that this man's son was in medical school- just 45 minutes away from my college. Then she informed me that this man's wife and my mother had already planned this man's son and mine's future love for each other. I told her she was crazy. "This man's son?!" I said, "Mom, give it a break." However, mothers do have a way of knowing best, don't they?
I kept on with my life for another few months. In fact, I dated a here and there that really seemed like he was going to be it. I had just started dating this here and there when I received another phone call from my mother the beginning of my fall semester senior year, "Daughter, this man's wife is in that town 45 minutes away right now, and she wants you to have dinner with them- she will be calling you in about 5 minutes. Bye!" She hung up. I was stunned. "But what about here and there?!" I thought. Then my phone rang. This man's wife asked me to dinner with her and this man's son. How could I refuse without being rude? I had to go. My roommates thought this was the most ridiculously hilarious thing they had ever heard of. They were laughing at my expense- "A blind date with his MOM?!" And that was exactly what it was.
I drove the 45 minutes. I got out of my car to see this man's wife beaming at me- thoughts of me being her daughter-in-law were dancing through her head. I braced myself for the awkward moment when I met this man's son...and then I saw him. He was even more handsome than the Christmas cards gave him credit. I was smitten. Here and there? There and here, who? The evening was lovely. I enjoyed myself. I went home happy. I went home content. Things I had never felt with any of the here and theres I had known. It was only about a week's time before this man's son called me asking me to go out...I wanted to say yes so badly...but the here and there kept me from doing what I wanted. I reluctantly refused to go out with this man's son. Needless to say, here and there and I broke it off soon after that. But this man's son didn't call me again...afterall, I had refused his request.
Finally, it was time for the longed for Christmas break. This man's son was there too- he was home on a break from medical school. I found a way to casually enter into conversation with him and inform him- ever so sneakily- that I was again single- ready for him to whisk me away and take me off into the sunset. Which he most definitely did. It was only one night before he asked me out again and I, this time, accepted. We dated for six months after our first date and were then engaged on July 8, 2007. We married exactly 11 months later on June 8, 2008.
As to date, the past year and a half have been the best days of my life. Christmas continues to be a wonderful time of year for many, but for me it is the time that I remember I got the best gift of all. And I was right about the girl who would end up with this man's son- I am a lucky, lucky girl!
Joe and I met volunteering together. We were friends for a year before we dated. Everyone we volunteered with saw the cheistry but we stood firm that we were just friends. After many e-mails, talks and getting to know each other we went on our first date a year later. On my birthday 10 months after our first date Joe proposed to me at my favorite brunch restaurant. He got down on one knee after my ring arrived on my plate and all eyes were on him. The table next to us announced to eveyone " she said yes"! He did such a great job planning and smuggling in the ring I had no idea what he had done! Now I know why he was so nervous when the waiter brought over our food and Joe got sent it back and on the next pass my ring arrived sititng in the middle of the bare plate. This August we were married at my parents home in the country. I feel truely bleesed to have him in my life!
My now-husband took me to a famous bed and breakfast outside of Washington, DC (where we live) called the Inn at Little Washington. It was a surprise and he told me it was my Christmas present since I LOVE bed and breakfasts and had always wanted to go there and it was the day before I was heading home for Christmas. We had a beautiful suite at the Inn that was 2 floors and had 2 balconies (which got me thinking that maybe this was more than a Christmas present). After taking a walk through the town, which is only two streets and was busy with Christmas carolers (seriously), we went back to our room to get ready for dinner. He told me he wanted to exchange Christmas presents before dinner and that he had gotten me something little in addition to the night away. He surprised me with a scrap book that he had made of all of the things he's learned from the 3 years we had been dating (and if you knew my husband you would be as shocked as I was that he made a scrap book!) and included in it pictures of us through the years as well as momentos he had saved (like a concert ticket from the first month we were dating). At the end there was a page about family that included, among other things, a postcard from a restaurant in New York City. I figured at this point that he was proposing so I tried to turn the page to get to the good part (!) but he stopped me so he could explain that the postcard was from the restaurant where he had taken my parents the week before to ask for their blessing (I thought he was in NY for work but he was actually doing that and picking up the ring). I then was allowed to turn the page where it read "I've learned so much from our time together but can you answer the one question I still don't know the answer to?" and that's when he got on one knee and asked me to marry him! He was holding up the ring box and in his nervousness he had opened it upside down so I couldn't see it and, although I was not that interested in the ring at that moment because I was just focused on him, he was literally pushing it into my face. He later explained that he had had it in his possession for a week and was so nervous that something was going to happen to it, he just wanted it to not be his responsibility any more! I said yes to his question and then we celebrated with a bottle of champagne that a friend of his had given to him about 6 months earlier "for whenever we got engaged" and that he had saved and smuggled with him from home. When we came down the stairs to go to dinner, the staff at the Inn greeted us with congratulations and they had printed up special menus to commemerate the night. Every waiter/waitress at the restaurant came over to our table to congratulate us too. It was so nice of the staff to make us feel so special (even though the restaurant is the kind that many people go to for occasions like this). He also told me that the reason he decided to propose at this Inn was so that it could be our "place" and we would be able to go back there to celebrate our many anniversaries to come. It was literally the perfect night. I have always loved Christmas and sending Christmas cards and was so excited when it finally seemed appropriate to send joint cards! Now each Christmas since his proposal brings back all of these amazing memories and it's a time I look forward to all year.
As an aside, we used Hello Lucky for our rehearsal dinner invitations and they came out beautifully. Their staff was also very lovely to work with.
And finally, I read the first few comments and saw "right here, in the comments section :)" and did not realize, at first, that it was Abby responding to someone's question. Instead I mistook it for a proposal story and I thought "well that is a really weird way to propose!"
I love my husband because he treats me like a queen, even when I don't act like one. I am NOT a morning person, so he'll wake up early (I leave for work before he does) and pack my lunch, make me coffee, and make my breakfast. Sometimes, if it is really cold outside, he'll start my car and run the heater so its all toasty warm when I get in. He is the best partner I could ever ask for in life.
Oh wow, I have never heard of this company and their work is exquisite! Thank you for sharing! I absolutely would be thrilled to win!
My hubby and I met in high school art class. He was a Sr. and I was a Freshman. No major sparks. But that next year he saw me at a football game and asked me out. On that first date we were with a group of friends and when we had some time alone I proceeded to cry to him the entire evening about the boy who had just broken my heart. My husband was my Jacob ;-) He told me how beautiful I was, that there was something so special about me, and that he wouldn't treat me that way, would not let me go...sigh.
We dated off and on during my high school years. I remember one date at our local Applebee's, he thought he was moving away to play baseball in another state. He told me someday he was going to come back and ask me to marry him. I thought he was nuts! Well, eventually he did go away, to bootcamp as he joined the Air Force. I spent my Sr. year missing him, holding my bear every night that he left for me and writing endless amounts of love letters to the boy I missed more than anything, my best friend.
When he came back. I knew we would be getting married. It's crazy to think now that at 18 and 20 years old we knew then that we were right for each other, right for a lifetime together. When it came time to officially propose, he surprised me by taking me to- you guessed it! Applebees! I assumed we were going out somewhere fancy, but it was the thought that so young, years before, he had known this moment would come. Sixteen years of marriage and two beautiful daughters later, he still has my heart and remains my very best friend♡
SEVILLA, SPAIN. The most romantic city in the WORLD!
We were on vacation visiting my family there, because my entire dad's side of the family lives. I hadn't been in over 4 years, so I was SUPER excited to have him meet my family there, but especially my Grandma. He is fluent in Spanish as well, so it was so awesome!! Friends of ours went with for the vacation & actually took pictures of the entire proposal, it was a dream come true & the most romantic proposal in the WORLD!
09-19-09 is the day he proposed. We were walking the "Triana Bridge" where TONS of locks were locked on the bridge with names on them, such as Maria Y Juan or in English Maria + Juan. It was the cutest thing, & since it was our friends honeymoon as well, we all decided to get locks & put them on. While walking back to the bridge, we wrote our names on the locks & little did I know once we put them on, my fiance wrote: "WILL YOU MARRY ME" on the back of the lock. He told me to check out our lock & I almost died of shock. Well of course I said yes! :) The pictures are priceless & I truly feel so blessed & amazed I could share this special moment in my life with my other family. It ment the world to me. He is the man of my dreams & I thank God everyday for him.
My husband an I met in a open field near our house while walking our dogs. We knew each other for a year before we started dating and when he proposed he placed the ring on my puppy's collar and had him bring the ring over to me. Since my dog is the reason we met, it was so cute that he had my baby help him pop the questions.
From Liz's perspective:
Well, it all started back in April 2008 when David suggested we go look at rings just to give him an idea what I like. Little did we know that I would find THE RING. David could tell just how much I loved it, so he decided to go ahead and put it on layaway. He told me not to get too excited though, because it would be a while before he was able to propose. So I waited. And waited. And waited some more!
Finally, in late September I went with him to make the final payment and to make sure they had the right ring size for me. After we left, he told me that it wasn't going to be ready for several weeks. I was bummed. You see, we were planning on taking a trip to the State Fair in Dallas on October 2nd and 3rd, and I was secretly hoping he would propose on the ferris wheel. I had even called my friend Katie and asked her if she could somehow make that suggestion to David when I wasn't around! However, it looked like the ring wouldn't be ready in time for that trip, so I tried to put it out of my mind. I wondered what he would finally decide to do when he proposed, but mostly I was still getting excited about going to the State Fair. I had always wanted to go, and I was most excited about the famous 212-foot-tall Texas Star ferris wheel, proposal or not.
So the day came to take our trip to Dallas, and we had a nice drive, stopping at the Czech Bakery and Braum's on the way. I had never been to the Czech Bakery, and David had never been to Braum's, so we each got to introduce the other to a new place. I love it when we do that. :) Anyway, I was exhausted when we finally got to Dallas, so I took a quick nap before we headed off to the state fair! We looked around at the car show, walked around the fairgrounds and talked about all the amazing/weird food (we debated whether or not to try the chicken-fried bacon), and were astonished by the steep prices for the carnival rides (most of them were around $5 per person! :-O). We decided that since the rides we so pricey, that we were just going to ride the ferris wheel once, and David wanted to wait until it was dark, so we went to watch the parade. By the time the parade was over, it was dark enough for the ferris wheel.
As we were standing in line, I noticed a sign that said there had to be at least 4 people per car. I was bummed because I've always thought ferris wheels are romantic... not so much when you're jammed in there with strangers though. I joked about slipping the ticket guy a $20 so we could have a private car, but I doubt it would have worked, and it was already costing us $12 to ride the ferris wheel anyway. We would just have to ignore those other people. :P
Once we were in the car, I was pretty much looking down at the fairgrounds the whole time... that is until I saw David's hand near my face out of the corner of my eye. I looked over, and there was my engagement ring on his pinky finger, about 6 inches from my face! I could hardly believe it! I pretty much didn't see anything else on the ferris wheel at that point... it was like it was just the two of us. I looked David in the eyes with a look on my face that I can only imagine was amazement. He looked back at me, and simply asked: "Will you marry me?" I was stunned for a second, and was thinking "Duh! Of course I'm going to say yes!" but I just looked at him and said "Of course!". We kissed and smiled at each other and the ride was over all too soon. Funny thing is, I don't even think the other couple noticed that anything had happened between us; the whole exchange was done very quietly.
Once we were off the ferris wheel, I was so excited because we could finally tell people that we are officially engaged, and I had the ring to prove it! We held hands walking down the midway, and I insisted that we go into the photo booth nearby and get our picture taken. Then we walked hand in hand and said goodbye to the State Fair.
From David's perspective:
I have to say the most difficult part of planning my proposal to Liz was not just saying, "To heck with all this, I'm just gonna give her the ring and sweep her up in my arms." You see, Liz and I picked out the ring back in April and I put it on layaway at Helzberg Diamonds. We went about three weeks ago and paid off the remaining balance and Shirley, our saleswoman said that it would be ready in a couple of weeks. The ring was ready in two days. I had made up my mind to propose at the Texas State Fair which wasn't for three more weeks. I was determined, so much that I reminded Liz that the ring would be ready in three, then two, then one, and on the day I planned to propose, I even said how nice it would be for her ring to finally be ready in just a few more days. This was absolute murder for me because I am a spontaneous guy and the waiting was driving me crazy.
So the time came for Liz and I to drive to Dallas for the Texas State Fair. We were both excited but I was about to lose it and spill the beans. We got to our hotel after a surprisingly pleasant three hour drive. I guess it all depends on who you're with. We sang along with the radio and iPod, talked, and just enjoyed the Texas scenery. When we got to the hotel, Liz took a short nap on the bed. I used this precious time to slip the ring into the 5th pocket of my jeans, woke her up and we were off.
After checking out all the new cars and trucks, walking around the fairgrounds, and watching the fair parade, it was finally dark and was time to go on the ferris wheel. Now, this was no ordinary ferris wheel. We're talking around 212 feet high, the tallest amusement ride in the Western Hemisphere. This is where the magical moment was finally going to happen. It was then that my heart sank in my chest as I read the big bold sign "4 to 6 passengers a car". I was upset because I really wanted this moment to be special and didn't want to share it with 2 to 4 total strangers. Still, I had made up my mind. This was when and where it was going to happen.
As we got loaded up in the ferris wheel car, I started to get nervous. When we got to the top, I pulled the ring out of my pocket, slipped it on my pinky finger about halfway up and placed my hand about a foot away from Liz's face, who was admiring the beauty of the fairground at night. Liz then looked down, took a deep breath and her eyes kind of glossed over. When she came back to, I looked into her eyes and asked her, "Will you marry me?" She took another deep breath as her eyes glossed over once more. About thirty seconds or an eternity later, whichever you prefer, Liz looked at me and said "Of course!" I wasn't exactly surprised at her answer because we've been secretly planning our wedding for over two months now, but it was really nice to slip the ring on her finger and finally be able to say that we were engaged. The moment was one of the happiest of my life and will always hold a special place in my heart of hearts.
Liz & David
Austin, TX
Married October 23, 2009
How We Met:
The Public Interest Law Society at my fiancee's Law School held a doubles tennis tournament as a fundraiser. My fiancee, Michael was a member of this society and had signed up to play in the tournament with his friend Jeff. My sorority recruited girls who wanted to participate in this tournament -- me and my friend Lindsay decided to enter together.
On the tournament day, Me and Lindsay were feeling less than excited about getting up early on a Saturday morning to play. At the last minute, we decided to skip it, thinking the show would go on without us. A very persistent sorority sister called each of our cell phones non-stop until we put on our tennis gear on and made our way to the courts.
After playing and winning our first two matches, Lindsay and I reached the championship match. As fate would have it, Michael and Jeff were our opponents. A few aces (and really nice volleys) later, Lindsay and I won the tournament championship. (Michael now claims he would have won had he not been so distracted by me!!!)
Organizers had assumed the second place team would be women and the tournament would be won by men (can you imagine a law school showing such discrimination?) The prize packages matched this assumption since the second place prize was a cute bag containing socks, headbands and other women’s gear. Lindsay and I graciously accepted the "girly" prize and handed over our would-be prize of restaurant gift certificates and movie passes to the guys. I was already intrigued by Michael and interested in getting to know him better, hinted that the guys (well, OK, more like told them) should use those restaurant certificates to take “the real winners” out to dinner. The subsequent double date was a little awkward and Michael ended it in a very businesslike manner by shaking each girl’s hand.
The spark was there though, and Michael asked me out again! Now we (the original tennis competitors) will say “I do” on June 19th and Jeff and Lindsay will be standing by our side as members of the wedding party! **When the priest says "You may now kiss the bride," I may just have to surprise Michael with a handshake instead!**
The day of the proposal I was on my way to a scrapbook luncheon with my friend Gina. As we were driving to the luncheon she mentioned to me, that the luncheon was off Bayshore Blvd somewhere, but she forgot what street so she might have to call her friend when we got close. (I'm thinking okay no big deal she has never been to this person's house before so she is not sure of directions, that's normal). As we are driving down Bayshore Blvd. she pulls off on a side street and hands me an envelope and asked me to look to see what street the luncheon was on. As she handed me the envelope, I said to her, "you haven't even opened this invitation yet?" I opened the envelope and it said " Sarah, I love you but you need to get out of my car ! Love Gina." I was like "Oh my god, Gina I hate you!!" When I got out of Gina's car I was told that I had to follow a pathway through the park. (This whole time I am thinking.. oh my god! I can't believe they tricked me). As I am walking down the path, I see Chad step out from behind a bush waiting for me in a gazebo, in a suit, holding a rose. I started crying the minute I saw him and knew what was happening. As I stepped up into the gazebo, he started talking to me, but I don't remember too much of what he said though since I was still in shock that they tricked me. He got down on one knee and before he even had the words out "will you marry me?" I said "YES!!"
I'm sure you are all wondering if it was the ring I had picked out. The answer is yes.. It's perfect and I love it more and more everyday!
some things are just meant to be. love is always about a little luck and a lot of risk, and that's how our story began...
i had spent the summer abroad working for an internation nonprofit agency and had just returned, looking for work in sunny California. i found the perfect organization & was excited when they said i was the top candidate. awaiting the official offer, i jumped at the opportunity to fill in for a volunteer (who had gotten sick) for a Monday Night Football event that evening. they asked me to help sell raffle tickets for a drawing at half-time, and so i mingled the crowds... there was one table that stood out. a group of lively friends who were so much fun to talk to, especially the good-looking guy named John. surprisingly, we knew many of the same people in town and he was friends with some who earned my highest respect. with only 2 minutes until the half, they decided to buy tickets... and i rushed off to prepare for the raffle. (unbeknown to me, that cute boy was praying for some way to meet me again.)
as the raffle winners were being announced, i couldn't help but wonder how i had never met this guy before. and then something magical happened... the cute boy from upstairs was standing in front of me, to claim the grand prize*! he took the autographed football & then paused and asked for my number. i was stunned! afraid of violating work policy, i mumbled something ridiculous and said i would stop by his table.
he walked away dejected, thinking i was just being polite. i wasn't going to let him get away though! true to my word, i dropped a raffle ticket with my name and number at his table. he called the next day & its been amazing ever since!
*{i sold him the winning raffle ticket, but to this day he tells everyone that he won the real "grand prize" that night - the woman of his dreams. i heart him so much!}
Here we go...on how I met the love of my life...the man of my dreams Paul.I was chatting with a girl on myspace and she was always throwing house parties so April 08 a friend and I went to one of her parties...I was then introduced to my now fiance Paul...He was not the type of guy that i usually date...he was too nice...i was used to dating bad boys and i mean bad..don't know what i was thinking...i know i was crazy just looking for love in all the wrong places.Everyone kept telling me a good man would find me one day so stop looking and of course God would bless my socks off with a real man one day...i thought it was impossible something like a fairytale...yeah wishful thinking i thought and i was so sick and tired of everyone saying i was so nice, pretty and had a nice body but yet i had a weirdo magnet that attracted bad boys and weirdo's.People kept suggesting i date Paul but i kept saying no he is not my type and i would get mad...he was way too nice...the man that honestly in my heart i had always dreampt and hoped for only if i knew it was him all the time...so we began as just drinkin buddies partying almost everyday no joke.He was married before so was I and he had no kids and really didn't care for kids and never wanted to have any.In the meantime every new club or hangout i ended up at he would show up and i would get upset..i thought he was stalking me!lol...i tease him now saying i fell in love with my stalker and i thank him for stalkin me..he!he!Paul is really a male version of myself...romantic...honest..faithful...good home training..loving..affectionate...a great sense of humor..thoughtful..loving..a good provider..the list goes on..we are a perfect pair...i know it may sound weird and maybe we all think there is no such thing as a perfect relationship but i honestly feel i have one.We didn't date we went from friends to a proposal we skipped dating all together lol...He is my best friend...my family..the perfect father..yeah i said father he has turned my 4yr olds life around and gave me the daughter Genesis i had always hoped and prayed for after my 3 boys.He was the missing piece to my heart.I was the dream and he was the dream catcher lol...corny huh...We complete eachothers sentences and he makes life worth living.The man that i was searching for was right before my eyes the whole time but i was too blind to see and I thank God i had to go through so many losers to appreciate and realize what the measning of a real man is and my real man is Paul and i can't wait to make this official by tying the knot. Can you say oppossites attract?Well sometimes they do and i haven't been happier until he came in our life.I love my family man.How he proposed .....July26,08 Paul and I were helping the friend who had introduced us move out of hair shop and Paul asked me to marry him.I thought he was joking at first but he assured me he was dead serious and I said yes.He said that he wanted to join the NAVY and i said cool since I was in the NAVY before we met.We decided to get married then have the baby and then he would join the military but after a few weeks of thinking i changed the plan.I asked him if we could have a baby and since he never wanted kids i was kind of nervous but he answered yes with not even a second thought and I was so surprised and shortly after i moved in and we were pregnant and got my baby girl...i finally had a girl after 3 boys i had before i met my fiance..Yay! i really fell head over heels for my stalker lol
I had always told my now husband that I was NOT going ring shopping with him and that I wanted everything to be a complete surprise! One Friday I called into work after a bad week. I called him to let him know I was staying home...he said he would call in too and we could spend the day together.
We went to breakfast and I said we should go do some Christmas shopping and maybe look at some rings. He had a rather surprised look on his face as I had been very adamant about being surprised. So, he went home to get ready as did I.
I went to his apartment to pick him up and was waiting on the couch for him. He came out to the living room and told me that he didn't think we needed to go ring shopping and then he walked away. At this point my heart was racing and sure enough he came back a few seconds later and got down on one knee. Totally surprised!!! We were married September 26th 2009...YAY!!
How we met, from our wedding website:
Eliza and Paul met at bridesmaid Courtney's birthday party in 2005. The party was at a club in downtown Boston. Eliza and Paul introduced themselves to each other at the beginning of the evening, and then they went back to talking with their respective friends. About halfway through the evening, a group of the partygoers consisting of mostly girls (plus Paul!) headed down to the dance floor. Despite being surrounded by women, Paul had eyes only for Eliza. They danced together throughout the night. At the end of the night the remaining group from the party grabbed some pizza before heading home. Paul tried to make some tantalizing conversation -- "Did you order cheese?" and "Do you want a napkin?" -- but he never asked for her number! Eliza figured that maybe she would see Paul again at a party in the future, and that they would meet again if it was meant to be. A couple weeks later she was surprised to receive an email from Paul, who had used his online skills to track her down on the internet. Eliza invited Paul to a Christmas party at her house, and she was happy that he decided to attend. At the party the two ended up talking all night, and they learned a lot more about each other this time than their taste in pizza.
...and the rest is history.
My fiance is from New Zealand, and I am from the States. So, the chances of us meeting were slim! But everything worked out perfectly :)
His band decided to do a tour in America last summer. They needed gear, so they called Guitar Center. They got to chatting with Chris (a really good friend of mine!), and Chris ended up booking them. I ended up going and seeing Tim's band play. He introduced himself to me, and I immediately though..."He's so cute and he has a great smile!" Apparently, he thought the same thing about me :)
He went back to New Zealand in September, and I stayed in the States. We stayed in contact and I went to New Zealand in January to see him. The first day I got there he took me on a date and official asked me to be his girlfriend. I thought it was so sweet of him to wait until we were together, in person.
A few months later, we were having a picnic in Nashville. Tim gave me a book he had made...it was the story of "us". The ending was spectacular....A message that read, "Will you marry me Christen Jean?" I looked over and he was on one knee, with a gorgeous ring I had seen months before!! I had no idea that he had bought it...my parents were the masterminds behind the whole sneaky purchase. It was such a wonderful moment!!
We've had some incredible adventures together, and we are still amazed at how we actually found each other!
Britney (me) and Marco (my now husband) started dating when she was just 14 and he was 17. After some persuasion from a mutual family friend, Britney's parents agreed to let her date Marco. A few years into the relationship we were hanging our in him room and he told me he wanted to show me something. He went into his closet and brought out a jewelry box. In the box, he pulled out an engagement ring. He told me, this was the ring my dad proposed to my mom with {he passed away when Marco was just 3}. She gave it to me to give to my future wife one day. One day this will be yours. It was a beautiful marquise diamond. On March 18, 2007 (my parent’s 30th wedding anniversary) he became my fiancé and I proudly wear this ring everyday. We always joke that we will never upgrade my ring because it has too much sentimental value. We were married September 27, 2008.
How we met:
At college (Texas A&M University)
Excerpt from "The Book" (refer to the proposal story if you don't know what "The Book" is):
(From Charlie's perspective)
"This one is debatable. I think the first time we met was at Jared's house at the compound. Clint told me about a beautiful girl that was roommates with his best friend from high school, Whitney. I remember you walked in and I immediately turned into shy guy. You had your hair all curled up and you still looked amazing. That's my first memory of you.
BUT...
"You always said the first time you met me was out at ARice's ranch. I remember the night but I don't remember you there. It was a typical night in College Station...nothing to do, so we went out to the ranch and built a bonfire and listened to good music."
The Proposal:
I honestly was surprised...you can ask my Mom and Leslie...I had gone to Mermaid Bar at Neimans for lunch with my Mom and Les while I was in Dallas before leaving for our trip to New York and I confessed that I was a little surprised because in the back of my mind, I thought that he might ask while we were both at home with all of our families. So, when those days passed and we were off to NYC, I really had gotten past it and was just truly excited to see New York for the first time. We joined Charlie's 2 other roommates (ARice (Andrew) and Will) and Will's girlfriend (Colleen) in Houston, and all 5 of us flew to NYC. We had gone to visit Charlie's sister (Whitney) and his roommate from college who was graduating from medical school at NYU (Jordan)...it was a roommate reunion! After a couple fun filled days and exhausting nights, Charlie and I split from the group and decided to get some fresh air in Central Park after brunch on Saturday. Apparently he had this planned all along. He even devised a way to "separate" from the group by having Colleen say she wanted to go back to Chinatown to shop (which he knew I would NOT want to do...Chinatown was not my thing). He then had the perfect opportunity to suggest different plans and I fed right into it. After she suggested Chinatown I was like...ummmm I kinda want to just go somewhere else and walk around...so Charlie said, "Let's go back to Central Park!" and I was like..."Perfect!!!!" We walked around a bit and listened to some of the musicians that were playing in random parts of the park . It had turned out to be a gorgeous day so we were enjoying our "leisurely" stroll (although, I doubt it was very leisurely for him!) Then Charlie decided to detour and took my hand as we walked across this grassy knoll. He lead me over to a rock that over looked a lake and was right by this gorgeous bridge that I kept commenting on how much I loved while we had been walking around. He leaned down and pulled out this book from his backpack (I had wondered that morning why he needed that backpack seeing as he hadn't carried one alllll week!) The book was full of stories about our friendship/relationship...when we first met, road trips, holidays, etc...and ended with a page titled "The Proposal!!!" Before even reading another word on that page, I turned to him and said, "Are you kidding?!?!?" He said "Will you marry me?" I said...."Uhhhh....YEAH....of course...!!!!" Then he said, "You know how you thought the rest of the group went to Chinatown?" and I said, "Yeahhhh...." then he said," Well....they are actually right behind us!" We turned around and ARice, Colleen, Will and Jordan popped up out from behind this huuuuuggge bolder (that was literally 10 feet behind us) and ran over to congratulate us and inform us that we had been stalked and paparazzi-ified the whole time!!! It was hilarious. Then I went into complete and utter shock! =)
During the summer, my fiancée and I were on a road trip through the Rockies on the way to a friends wedding. We stopped on the way for this great alpine meadow hike I had been dying to do in Banff National Park. The hike was beautiful…burnt forests, 400 year old trees, tons of marmots running around, lots of open alpine meadows with teeny tiny flowers blooming. The skies were clear, the hike empty of people, so it was just us and the marmots. We took a break on the lone rock on a hillside to catch our breaths and enjoy the most beautiful view. Totally spontaneously, Dan tore a strip off his snack bar wrapper and concocted a ring foil-side out, he dropped down to one knee (while trying not to fall down the hill) turned to me and popped the question. It was so exciting and surprising, I think he even caught himself a little off guard, the moment was really romantic. The whole hike back we couldn’t stop smiling!
After 9 amazing, relationship-testing months living in a small Greek city Brian and I were enthusiastically ready for the comfort of our home and family back in California. On our voyage back to what we now referred to as, the most amazing country in the world aka the U.S., we decided to stop in Paris for a few days to break up the trip so that it wouldn't be such a long haul for the new addition to our crew, our dog Marco. In Paris we had the most amazing time. My parents were with us and we hit the streets as if we were natives, with our pooch, taking him in cafes, walking the Champs Elysees and drinking champagne. On our last night in Paris Brian suggested that we go to dinner just the two of us, and so I called my mom to tell her we were going to have dinner on our own and she energetically shouted "I think that's a great idea!" Unbeknownst to me Brian had asked for permission from my parents to ask me to marry him while they were visiting us in Greece.
While I was in the shower Brian got two champagne glasses and made a reservation at a restaurant. He kept telling me I didn't need to dress up but I said, we're in Paris, I have to look good! He had a great idea to walk to the Siene river and watch the sunset. The previous night we had taken a dinner cruise down the Siene and I had mentioned how neat it was that people brought wine down to the river at night. As we were walking Brian's hand was profusely sweating, an odd enough occurance that I had to point it out and he just said...."sorry." He started to say how wonderful the past year had been experiencing such an adventure together living in Greece, I thought he was being sweet. We were originally going to sit on a bridge to watch the sunset but what we soon realized was that every youngster in Paris goes to the bridges on the Siene to drink and begin their young French nights. It was PACKED. So we decided to just sit on the bank. The minute we sat and popped the champagne Brian pulled me back to my feet and got down on his knee......and popped something else.
Doug and I met on December 30th, 2004 when we were blindly set up. I was instantly attracted to his uncanny charm and sense of humor. Doug and I dated for a few years and then we decided to go our separate ways, we both needed time to grow up and find our way as adults. Doug and I always kept in touch while we were not dating because in many ways we were best friends. He was the first person I called when my father had a brain aneurysm, because he knew me and how to comfort me. We had so much in common especially our love for cycling and the outdoors. While broken up he told me about a trip to Argentina and Chile he had planned with a close friend. It was on that trip that Doug saw a necklace that reminded him of me and at that moment he knew it was me he wanted to grow old with. A few months after Doug's trip to South America he and I reconnected and have been together ever since. I always knew I wanted to spend my life with him and was prepared to be patient until it was the right time.
The Proposal:
It was an average work day that I got an instant message from Doug asking me if I would like to go to Colorado in August to visit his brother and my friend, they are married and are the two responsible for us meeting. I said sure, because it had been some time since I had a vacation. With our Australian Shepherd puppy, Merlin in tow we set out on the 12 hour drive to Denver. We arrive in Denver on Thursday and on Friday Doug has a hike planned for us in Boulder to hike to the Royal Arch. We start the hike once again with Merlin in tow. It was definitely a tiring hike when you are not used to the altitude at 6,700 ft. We were about 3/4 of the way up to the Royal Arch and I asked Doug, "Is the Royal Arch really worth the exhaustion?" He told me yes and we proceeded on. We made it to the top to the Royal Arch and it was truly amazing, you could see all of Boulder and into Denver. We sat down on some rocks to take in the view and Doug pulled out a necklace, yep the one from South America and told me "this is the necklance that made me realize I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you." I put the necklance on and was so excited about it and then he pulled out a box and said "The necklance made me realize I wanted to buy you this, and spend the rest of my life with you." Doug presented me with the most amazing cushion cut diamond.
The proposal was amazing! While we were walking down the mountain people were congratulating us! The next evening we celebrated with our friends and family and five course tasting menu at an amazing Denver restaurant.
Marriage and relationships are just like the hike we went onto the Royal Arch. It takes strength, determination and love for a relationship to be successful. Sometimes you may want to quit and throw in the towel but what is at the end is so worth the journey. I cry every time I think or tell someone about our engagement. I feel so amazing to be marrying my best friend.
Yay! Their cards are amazing and I love that they are eco-friendly.
The now hubby and I starting dating after meeting through mutual friends. It started simply enough, but we knew it was definitely something more. After he moved to New York in January of 2005, we continued to develop our relationship where we share a love of travel, food, family, friends and most of all each other. It was halfway through a flight to Argentina to visit my brother that he proposed, where I excitedly said yes, which was good for both of us since it was still another 5 hours till we landed. we both love traveling so it was a perfect proposal, plus we had the rest of our vacation to celebrate.
Brandon proposed the day before our 2 year anniversary on my family's farm! I have my favorite place on a 10 acre pond that is just perfect and peaceful! He went out and carved a heart on the tree and wrote in big letters "Will you Marry me"! What is so sweet is that it will be there forever! He took me out there so he could look at the dam which was broken at the time, we came across so rocks and to me it looked like someone had been burried! So I yelled to him to go look and see what it was so as we got there he parked the truck and I ran around and he was already out of the truck and on one knee! It was super sweet! :)
After spending several days with Chads family and AnnaLeis (his daughter) in Ft. Walton we were supposedly heading to Panama City for the next seven days. Chad told me he was tired of the beach and wanted to do something different. He told me he always wanted to tour the FSU campus so we headed to Tallahassee. We stopped for a quick lunch and I started trying to give Chad directions back to Panama City, I cant stand not having a plan set out. While we were sitting at lunch he informed me that we weren't going to Panama City he had a "mini vacation" planned for us. He told me I couldnt ask any questions because he was enjoying the fact that I had no clue what was going on. As we started our drive I realized that Garmen said we had a 3 hour car drive. He then told me I could start guessing, but of course I had no clue where I was. After a couple of questions and some thinking I discovered our destination was St. Augustine Florida. I was excited and shocked that Chad had planned this entire trip and I had no clue the whole time. After our 3 hour road trip we arrived in St. Augustine around 5PM. Chad was very persistent that we had to see the beach. After driving around for a bit we finally found a public beach access. We started out towards the ocean and I stubbed my toe. We start walking down the beach picking up handfulls of seashells. The rest is a complete blurr, all I can really remember is Chad telling me that from the first five minutes he met me he knew I was someone he could marry....... Somewhere in all of this he asked if I would marry him and of course I said YES!!!!!! I was so excited to call and tell my mom and dad. We ran to the car to grab by phone and camera to let everyone know, but to my surprise everyone already knew. Chad had gone and asked my parents the Tuesday before we left on our trip. After a couple of phone calls we headed to the next surprise. Chad had made reservations at the Casa Monica Hotel, it was previously a castle built in 1888 which was transformed into this AMAZING hotel. To my surprise Chad had picked me out a dress and some awesome shoes for our dinner reservations. At this point I was totally blown away with all of the small details he had thought about. After our delicious dinner we headed down St. George street to have a celebration drink and listen to a local band. The following day we toured the entire city, starting with the Lightner Museum which had an amazing garden. After the museum we headed to Flagler college and then to the St. Augustine Lighthouse. After climbing the 219 stairs to the top we headed back to the beach for several more pictures. We spent our final night at a romantic restaurant called Harry's on the bay in St. Augustine and then headed to hang out in the pool for a bit. As sad as we were to leave we were excited to head back and spread the exciting news of our engagement. We spent the rest of the week in a resort in Panama City with Chads brother and sister-in-law Cecily. This was an amazing trip and something I will never forget!!!!!
Todd and I planned a trip to see our friends in NYC a year ago labor day. Everyone, even my grandma, said he was going to propose, to which I told him this on the eve of our flight. I remember sitting in the atm drive through with Todd explaining to me that we will get engaged one day, but it would not be this weekend. So, off to NYC for a fun filled weekend we went. Over dinner the first night, Todd left the table for a moment and his friend turned to me and said "I know you want to get engaged this weekend, but it's not going to happen and you need to lay off, he feels really bad". So, here I am feeling really stupid and trying telling myself to forget the whole idea, that we won't get engaged this weekend. As the weekend continued we decided to go to Mass at St. Patrick's. After mass Todd really wanted to get our picture taken at the alter. We waited in line with all the other tourists and finally traded cameras with another family. We took their picture and their son took ours. Everything was going just fine and when Todd says, "lets take one more". Well, the true new yorker next to me was not pleased as we were hogging the alter and as I turned to tell her just a minute, Todd got down on one knee. I turned back around and there he was, on his knee with ring in hand. I just stood there in total shock with my hands shaking and Todd just kneeled there with tears in his eyes. If it wasn't for the lady behind me screaming yes! we would still be there. Well, of course I said yes, the entire catherdral went silent and then erupted in appluse. It was incredible! And the kid taking our picture, just kept on taking, and we have the greatest engagment photos! I had the pleasure of displaying our photos at our wedding October 10. It was a fairytale wedding and I would love to have a our christmas card with our wedding picture designed by you.
The Proposal
11/28/09
Get comfortable, because this story is very long, but very good. ☺
Here we go…
The only thing that Kory told me, as far as birthday plans went, was that we had dinner reservations for 3660 on the Rise at 6:30 that evening. The night before my birthday, he suggested that we hit the gym. Seeing as it was my last day as a 34 year old and I wasn’t getting any more in shape on my own, I agreed to go along. Unfortunately, I think I was a little too enthusiastic on the treadmill and ended up injuring my right leg. I cut my workout short and headed back to the apartment. Kory followed shortly thereafter, but told me before we went to bed that he didn’t get a chance to work out as long as he’d wanted and would probably head to the gym early the next (birthday) morning.
I rose at 7:00 a.m. to my first day as a 35 year old and discovered that Kory was gone. No biggie--I assumed he had gone to the gym, just like he said. He returned about an hour later dressed in gym gear, and suggested that we grab some McDonald’s breakfast. I readily agreed.
After we got home with sausage McMuffins in tow and gobbled them down, I settled in for a lazy Saturday morning. As far as I knew, the only plans were for dinner. I was planning to catch up on magazine reading and tear into my New Super Mario Brothers Wii game. Kory had a different idea. Citing his need to now do some weightlifting, he said he was going back to the gym. He’s been on a major workout kick lately, so again I thought nothing of it and plopped into bed in my pjs with the December issue of Real Simple.
I’d barely gotten comfy when I got a text message from Kory. Strange, I thought, as I opened the message. The message said this:
“Good morning Racers and welcome to The Amazing Birthday Race. Get dressed in comfortable clothes (Nemu t-shirt and shorts…put on a touch of makeup (as all racing beauty queens do) and go to the 2nd bedroom and you will find your first clue on the back of the door…if you need help you can ask the producer (me) for help, but grab your teammate Puffy and let’s race…lylyly”
Most of you already know that Kory and I are HUGE Amazing Race fans. We watch it religiously, playing along with the teams, picking our favorites, and strategizing and telling each other what we would have done if we were the ones racing. We were so sad when last season featured the Chinese brother-sister team who are lawyers. When they won, they effectively precluded any chance whatsoever of us getting on the show.
So here it was! My very own personal Amazing Birthday Race. I followed the clue, hastily throwing off my pjs and slapping on some makeup. I ran to the 2nd bedroom and discovered the first clue:
“Welcome to the Amazing Birthday Race! Your team must first make its way by Prius to Hawaii’s largest shopping mall and find the Barnes & Noble there. Once at Barnes and Noble, you must search for the book shown in this photograph. Your next clue can be found somewhere in one of the copies.”
After squealing with excitement, I grabbed Puffy Bear (my Racing teammate) and dashed out the door. I kept muttering to myself to observe the speed limit and to try and avoid screaming at wayward pedestrians who were in my way. I raced to Ala Moana and found a parking spot on the rooftop where I knew my chances were greater at finding a spot during the post-Thanksgiving shopping rush. Once I got to B&N, I accosted the poor information guy, waving the photograph of the book “10,000 Ways to Say I Love You” at him and demanding to know where I could find the “Relationships” section. The poor guy probably thought I was psycho and quickly escorted me to a section at the back of the store. Not a moment too soon for her, he probably thought.
I spotted a guy in the same aisle and thought that he may have been part of the Race, so I smiled at him and enthusiastically said, “Hi!” expecting him to hand me the book or the next clue. Instead, he looked at me strangely, muttered something that sounded like hello, and then buried his nose back in his book. At that instant, I spotted the book on the shelf with the clue sticking out of it. Oops—guess that guy wasn’t part of the plan and just an unfortunate case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time! No worries, I found my next clue and quickly tore into it to find the following:
“Hawaii is famous for its cosmopolitan cuisine, with local menus often featuring exotic Hawaiian, Southeast Asian, Filipino, Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese dishes. Locals, however, have also discovered a quaint Italian restaurant in the heart of Manoa Valley whose chefs prepare the island’s finest chicken parmesan. Your next clue can be found outside of this Italian eatery—look carefully, though, or your team may be “benched”.
I knew instantly where to go next—Paesano, one of our favorite restaurants. I hopped into my car and raced into Manoa, running at least 2 yellow lights and smiling like an idiot the entire way. This was fun!!
I got to Manoa Marketplace, quickly found a spot, and made a beeline for the concrete bench outside of the restaurant. There, securely taped to the bottom, was what I was looking for—the next clue:
“Oscar “Ozzie” Young has a vacation home also located in lush Manoa Valley, where he enjoys sunbathing, romping with his grandparents, and chasing birds. Find Oscar’s vacation home and travel there by Prius. Look for your next clue in Oscar’s Playground, but be sure to keep hydrated. Searching for clues can be very thirsty work!”
I arrived at Kory’s parents’ house and found his dad waiting in the driveway with a big smile on his face. I asked if he was expecting me, and he tried to nonchalantly change the subject. No time for small talk!! I tore into their backyard and started hunting for the clue. Not in the bushes, not in the orchid plants…where was that dang thing! Ah-HAH! I found it nestled in Oscar’s WATER dish. Get it? Staying hydrated as a racer? I chastised myself for not getting it right away. But no time for dilly-dallying! Here was the next clue:
“Hawaii’s tropical heat can wear out even the heartiest racer. Take this opportunity to grab a frozen treat, and also find your next clue.”
Leaving all my manners outside, I rushed into the house and tore open the freezer door. There, nestled among the chocolate ice cream, was a frozen block of ice with what looked like Scrabble tiles housed inside. Here’s what the next clue said:
“ROADBLOCK!! Cold Hard Facts. Encased in this block of ice are 14 letter tiles. Your team must free the letters from the ice, and then unscramble the letters into 2 words which will direct you to the location of your next clue.”
Kory’s dad was watching all of this unfold, and not wasting a second, I quickly asked him for a kettle so I could boil some water. We settled for heating up a pot of water in the microwave. My plan was to pour the hot water over the ice to melt it. While I waited for the water to heat up, I tried to make out the letters and get a head start at unscrambling them. No luck—Kory had purposely frozen them so I couldn’t see what all the letters were. When they were finally freed, the 14 letters were as follows:
A S N O I L I E L C L I F E F
Suffering from overconfidence, I thought I’d have this thing solved in a snap. After all, how many times had I shouted at the teams on TV? The answer was SO obvious, right? Apparently not. I struggled over it, trying to work my backwards and think of places we had gone together and make the letters fit the word. No luck. Finally, I came up with one word: “OFFICE.” And now, what to do with the rest of the letters? I thought it may have been “Alii (the name of our office building)- Something”, but that wouldn’t be 2 words with office. Finally, mercifully, I got it:
L E I L A N I S O F F I C E
No fair! “Leilani’s” has an apostrophe in it!! Ah well, at least the clue was solved! With a quick kiss and hug to Kory’s parents, I grabbed the tiles and clue and headed back to my car and toward Downtown.
I parked my car at our usual parking spot in Alii Place and paused for a moment to decide which way to go. There is a stairwell in the parking garage that leads right into our office, but it requires climbing 4 flights of stairs. As I’m sure you already know, when given the choice, I will take the elevator instead of stairs because I’m lazy like that. But taking the elevator takes more than twice as long than taking the stairs. Praying to the gods of fitness, I took a deep breath and headed for the stairs. I huffed and puffed my way up, silently cursing and noting ironically that it looks a lot easier on TV when the Racers are running up the stairs and I’m yelling at the TV, “Hurry up you slowpoke! Geez, it’s just a few flights of stairs!”
Gasping for breath, I finally made it to my office. The door was closed and as I opened it up, it was the smell that hit me first: McDonald’s lunch! Still steaming hot French fries and a cheeseburger (only ketchup, please). Next to it, a tall icy Coke. Just what I needed! But how did it get here? Aside from my labored breathing, the halls of the office were completely dark and silent. As I was driving up the parking garage, I tried looking for Kory’s car, but it wasn’t anywhere.
While shoving fries into my mouth and gulping a Coke in one hand, I used the other to check out my next clue which was propped up against my keyboard:
“DETOUR: PARADISE FOUND. Hawaii is often a destination for travelers in search of Paradise. One of your team members must now cross the Street of Kings and find “Heaven on Earth.” There, you will check in at 11:45 am under the name Leilani for the “Reaching Nirvana” package (all taken care of including gratuity). After enduring your treatment, return to your vehicle to find your next clue.”
I took advantage of the fact that the office was a ghost town and SCREAMED at the top of my lungs. SPA PACKAGE!!!! Pant, pant, wag tail, wag tail!!! Hitting the spa is one of my favorite pastimes, and after every semester of law school, I would treat myself to a day at the spa to reward myself for my hard work. Unfortunately, I hadn’t had one of those days in a while, and I was touched (but not surprised at all) that Kory remembered how much I wanted to try out Heaven on Earth.
It was about 11:15 at this time and I had 30 minutes to finish eating and then head across the street to the spa. I took this opportunity to fire up my computer and surf over to Heaven on Earth’s website. What was the “Reaching Nirvana” package? Was there such a thing? What did it involve? Most importantly, how long would it take? My question was quickly answered: FOUR and a half hours of supreme pampered bliss! A massage, facial, body scrub/wrap, and then a manicure and pedicure. I couldn’t get to the spa fast enough and when I arrived, I quickly changed into the spa robe, tucked Puffy Bear into the locker with my bag, and settled in for an afternoon of relaxation. I thought that this was the final destination and a bonanza birthday gift, so when I finally finished at 5 pm and headed back to the car, I was surprised to see this clue:
“Industrial Tycoon H.R. Puff-n-Stuff established his corporate headquarters in Hawaii in 2006 at XXX (our home address). Travel to the headquarters of Puffy Inc., the pit stop for this leg of the race. And hurry! The last team to check in may not get cake and ice cream.”
A little bit of explanation here: Puffy Bear is our stuffed bear and I brought him home from a toy store back in 2006. He’s our “traveling gnome” and goes everywhere with us. Vacations, meals out, even to work! Most of you have probably met Puffy in person too. All along the way that we were running the race, I was snapping photos with my iPhone and sending updates to Kory, per his request. Puffy has his own personality, and Kory and I even made up a song about him. So of course when I started the Amazing Birthday Race, Puffy had to be my partner and he helped me every step of the way.
When I arrived home, I shouted out, “We’re here! We’re here!” and expected to hear Oscar’s bark and Kory to come out with a cake and ice cream. Instead, nothing. Silence. Hrrm? Where was everybody? Maybe the race wasn’t over? Maybe I wasn’t supposed to come up to the apartment, but to go to the lobby? I was confused, but decided to stick the key into the lock and open the door…
…and there I found the apartment lit up in what seemed like HUNDREDS of candles! Kory was waiting at the entrance, the “pit stop”, along with the country’s representative (a la Amazing Race), our other teddy bear, Chip. The final clue was waiting there with them:
“FINAL CHALLENGE: Before checking in to the pit stop, one of your team members (not you, Puffy) must complete the final challenge: Say Yes.”
And then, my friends, Kory asked me to marry him. I immediately started crying (which took me by surprise) and after bawling, I said yes and just hugged and kissed him over and over. To which he replied:
“As the winner of this leg of the race, you win this…” and he gave me the ring. Which is breathtaking, and beautiful, and extravagant, and much more than I could have ever wished for. Best of all, I learned later that he wanted the ring to be something he picked out with my mom, who is an avid jewelry collector and very knowledgeable. Kory got the diamond and then had Mom help with the setting. She was tickled to be involved with the whole process and did a spectacular job keeping it a secret.
We celebrated that evening with dinner at 3660 on the Rise, our favorite restaurant. I actually wasn’t sure if we really DID have reservations, or if that was just something to distract me with! Over a delicious meal, we relived the day, each of us telling the other what the experience was like planning (him) and playing (me) the game.
I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day. It is a day I will remember forever, and it was truly the best day of my life.
I hope you enjoyed reading our story!!!
This past weekend my fiance and I finally tied the knot, its been a long and crazy wedding planning process. I was the first of my Friends to get married and first child out of my family so when I decided to plan the whole thing my self from writing our ceremony to picking the caterer right down to doing the flowers (with my lovely and fabulous mom and sister) everyone thought I was crazy. And I was I had no idea what I was doing. We did loose 2 venues, one only 2 months before the wedding, but somehow I kept Happy and sane knowing everything would turn out fabulously! My family and friends worked like crazy all last week getting stuff done....did I mention we choose to get married 30,000 miles away from home Thanksgiving weekend?? That didn't help considering we were doing flowers out of a hotel room and trying to find stuff in a city we didn't live in during one of the busiest shopping days of the year! It all seemed to be coming together fabulously, its now wedding day I'm dressed and ready to go, nothing could go wrong now......... We picked Scottsdale,AZ because of its warm and sunny days year round with little to no rain......we were wrong! Everyone got down on the 9th green for the ceremony and what happened it started to sprinkle. I said "its okay a few drops wont hurt". In the middle of our short ceremony it started to down pour on everyone and of course no one had umbrellas, it never rains in AZ. In the end the wedding was a dream come true I wouldn't have asked for anything else. I think the rain will had produced some wonderfully funny pictures of guests running back with and with out heels on, I can't wiat to see them and share them with everyone!!
Well I kind of ruined my husband's proposal. He had planned on taking me on the hike that we do most weekends with our dog. It is alone the river and very beautiful and has a lot of meaning for us. I was feeling very sick and could not even get off the couch that day. I kind of had a feeling something was up though because he had asked me days before to go on the hike, which was a little strange. So he took the dog and went off in a huff. The next day we went fishing and nothing happened so I thought I was just imagining things and that he wasn't going to do it. Later that evening I was in my PJ's eating chocolate with our dog at my feet and about to watch my favourite show when he took the remote and paused the TV and did it right then and there. Even though I ruined his "perfect proposal" I can't imagine it happening any other way!
Well I'll throw my engagement story out there, because I really felt like Prince Charming was just a fairytale - till I got to start my own.
Benjamin and I had started dating December 2, 2009. We'd known each other for a few months and had become decent friends through our mutual law school experiences and love for obscure comedies. Once we started dating we hardly spent a day a part, that is until this past summer. I was accepted into a study abroad program in Clermont-Ferrand, France and he was staying stateside. It was wonderful and terrible at the same time. I was incredibly sad that I had to leave Benjamin stateside, but I was excited to have my first overseas experience.
Ben and I, despite the time zone differences, found time to talk to each other everyday. Eventually June rolled around and I had an extended break in my studies. It was suppose to be used to go to Paris and visit the Cour d' Cassation and the Conseil d'Etat, something that can best be described as the French supreme courts. I wasn't too interested in going on this field trip and had spoken to Ben about not going and perhaps using the time to travel elsewhere. He convinced me to take the trip to Paris with a promise that he would meet me there.
The Paris week finally rolled around. We were originally going to try and meet at the Gare du Nord train station, however out scheduling meeting time came and went and eventually I had to take a taxi to the hotel by myself. It turned out the metro had a few problems and his phone had failed to work in France. Not but 5 minutes after I had dropped my things in the hotel room did he show up. It was funny, because even after all that waiting, we had missed each other by just a few moments. But we decided to relax that night: Ben needed to recover from the long flight and I needed to just sit there and be with him (after weeks of having to do without).
The next day we started off with wandering the city that eventually led us to a wine tasting and light lunch. This was followed by escaping a torrential downpour in the city by getting lost on the metro. Later we made it to the Champ Elysees, did a little shopping and climbed up the Arc de Triomph. Our day of sightseeing was quickly coming to an end and we decided to on a boat tour to cap of the night. So we got to see all the landmarks and bridges that touch the Seine and it ended in front of the Eiffel Tower. Apparently at night, the Eiffel lights flicker and put on a sort of light show. It was absolutely beautiful, As I was entranced by the light I told Ben how wonderful a day it was and both told each other how thankful we were for one another. I thought he was absolutely amazing to travel so far after we had dated for a relatively short time. But then he went further and told me that he wanted to make sure that everyday was as wonderful and he told me this was my last chance to get rid of him.
I shot him what has been described as the "you're retarded" look and told him I didn't want to get rid of him. He smiled, got down on one knew and took my let hand. I knew he was saying something, but in my shock all I could see was his lips moving I didn't register what he was saying at all until he got to the end and asked "so will you marry me?" I looked at him, looked at my hand in is, still not saying anything. Ben laughed and told me he wasn't going to let me see the ring unless I said yes. I laughed too and told him that of course I wanted to marry him. Apparently we had gotten a small crowd and when Ben stood again they clapped and whistled.
The moment was incredible, it was romantic and it was a little humorous, in short it was a moment of perfection.
Mr. popped the question while we were in Sevilla, Spain, my absolute favorite place in the whole world. As an undergrad I was a dance major and fell in love with Flamenco dancing. After I graduated, I decided to save up all my money after working for a few years and move to Sevilla to study Flamenco. Living there was a dream come true! It was an amazing experience and I really wanted Mr. to see the place that I had loved so much and that had been so influential on my life. I had made a request that since I didn't want a diamond ring that he get me the aquamarine ring that I really wanted and to use the rest of the money for us to take a trip to Spain. Now, I’m not saying that I thought he was going to propose, and I’m certainly not saying that I didn’t think he was going to propose, but I think it’s better if I go back and think about everything that must have been going on in his head while we were there. So, just know that I wasn’t evilly plotting and trying to throw wrenches in his plan…they did that all by themselves.
The first concern of the trip: ring transport. I guess he was worried about someone stealing it from his checked luggage but he also didn’t want to take a chance and have me see it while going through security (man, that would have been a romantic place to propose) and he and my uncle even went so far as to research how difficult it would be to overnight my ring to the friend we were staying with in Madrid. In the end, he just decided to keep it in his carryon and make sure I just wasn’t looking at his x-ray. All the while, I was oblivious. Just excited to go to Spain!
I found out later that all along his plan was to propose in the gardens of the Alcazar as soon as we got to Sevilla. I had told him stories of how I used to sit in the gardens and take in all the sights, sounds and smells (the most fragrant lavender and tuberose I've ever smelled!) and how I wished that one day I'd be able to share that experience with him since I had always gone to the gardens alone. BUT, this is where we hit wrench #1. We arrived in Sevilla on a Monday and the Alcazar is closed on Mondays. Again, I didn’t mind because I was oblivious, but apparently Mr. was pretty frustrated and really just wanted to ask so he could stop worrying about losing the ring. So, Tuesday morning comes along and we’re ready to hit the gardens, only there’s a line at least 100 yards long and there is NO way I was going to stand in that line. So although he resisted, we decided to go to a couple other places I wanted to take him and then we’d return to the gardens later. The whole time we were walking around, he kept asking questions like, “So are the royal gardens prettier than this?” “When are we going to go to the gardens?” or “are you ready to go to the gardens now?” I was really enjoying our morning stroll and liked that we were taking our time seeing the sights, sitting down under shady olive trees, sipping lemony granizadas, people watching, and I wasn’t in any hurry to stand in line with a bunch of other tourists to visit the gardens during peak hours. So, was it weird that he kept asking all these questions when it seemed perfectly fine to me that we were taking our time? Sorta…but what seemed even more weird is how Mr. refused to take off his jacket and it was about 83 degrees.
FINALLY after 5 hours of “sweaty nervousness” (so he says) we made it to the Alcazar. Then the questions began again: (when we hadn’t reached the garden part of the Alcazar yet) “How do we get to the garden part?” (then when we had gotten to the garden) “So, where’s you’re favorite spot? (Thinking back…ok, thanks dr. duh.) Of course, I continued my leisurely pace while he (as he told me afterwards) scoped out the gardens trying to find where he would ask. Only, when he found a spot, it took us a while to actually get there. Still sweaty, still nervous.
The spot he chose could not have been more perfect: a raised walkway overlooking the entire gardens, beautiful flowers on one side, pond full of ducklings on the other. Of course the final wrench (only moments before he asked) was that I went in for what became the most awkward.hug.EVER. It was like a half-hug where he raised his arm in order for me to not feel the box in his pocket. Luckily, I didn’t feel it and just a minute later he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him ☺
I couldn't have imagined a more romantic and perfectly "us" proposal!
I met my fiance at a potluck/house warming party. I was testing out a low-carb diet and after one vodka tonic (zero self discipline, seriously) I made a mad dash to the freshly baked bread loaf. The hostess was talking to Matt by the potluck table and attempted to initiate conversation. I, annoyed at the lost opportunity to binge, politely introduced myself. He helped me cut the bread and I never looked back....
Our instant chemistry was electric- like a girlie fantasy in a teenage romance movie. No one else existed and I could of sworn there was dry ice smoke billowing up from the corners of the room. After 10 minutes of love-at-first-sight trance, the hostess asked everyone to get together for a picture. The moment was lost...
I headed to a restroom in the back of the apartment to freshen up- mainly to check my face for lodged food, etc. When I turned the door knob to leave, the door wouldn't budge. Come to find out, the door knob was incorrectly installed and would lock-up periodically. I grabbed tweezers from the medicine cabinet and proceeded to use them on the phillips head screws securing the door knob. No luck. The music was loud and my friends weren't answering cell phones.
I had just met the man of my dreams and he thinks I'm having bowel problems! Fabulous.
I was eventually rescued from the bathroom by the hostess who was giving some newcomers a tour of the apartment. When the door flung open I grabbed her and said, "Merita, I just met the man of my dreams at your potluck party!!!" She was too amused by my MacGyver like use of her tweezers to care. She pushed me out to the main room and proceeded to tell the story.
Matt laughed, along with everyone else, and followed me to the kitchen where he asked me on our first date. Our wedding is November 6, 2010. On that date, we will break bread together once again, with our church, familly and friends.
When most people ask how we met the answer is "at work". It's easiest that way. But the truth is we had met four years previously. It was the first weekend of sophomore year and my roommate and I had been out to a party. We took the bus back to the dorm, and at the busstop she began to chat some some fellows (nothing surprising for her). One ended up coming back to the room with her, but I had already climbed up into my bunk and wouldn't leave, so within an hour or so the guy wandered home, disappointed I'm sure. Four years later I was at a happy hour for work to welcome a bunch of new hires. As soon as I introduced myself to one guy he asked what school I went to, and then said "do you have a friend named Julie". I didn't, but thought he had the names confused, as I knew several people named Julia, so I started to discribe my friend's sister who had started at the school the year that I graduated, and thought this guy might know. He said no, the girl I'm talking about had really short, funky hair. I immediately knew he was talking about my roommate sophomore year, and he confirmed it. He told me the story, and described the shirt he had been wearing that night. Once he told the story, I remembered, because my roommate had spent some time making fun of his shirt. I guess he had never forgotten that it was my fault he was sent home alone that weekend so long ago. We started chatting, became good friends, and 6 months later were dating. Next summer, 4 years after re-meeting, almost exactly 8 years to the day of meeting for the first time, we'll become Mr. and Mrs.!
How Howard Dean Helped Me Find My Husband: A DC Love Story.
My fiance Cory and I met six and a half years ago just after I moved to Washington, DC. I was working temp jobs while I was searching for a real job and he was a summer intern between his 2nd and 3rd years of law school. After the original temp for the job was cast in a play that would rehearse during the day I was called in for a long-term temp job at the company where Cory was interning. As we were all around the same age I got to know some of the other interns, especially one girl who was extremely conservative. Cory had caught my eye a bit, but I lumped him in with the other interns and thus thought he'd be way too conservative for a Berkeley girl like me. He would try to find common interests to engage me in conversation (he even started reading the Harry Potter books after he heard my conversation with the others about the upcoming release of the 5th book) but I didn't really pay much attention. Then, one day as we were chit-chatting he mentioned that he had gone to a political fundraiser the night before. Bracing for an answer I didn't think I'd like, I asked who the fundraiser was supporting and to my great surprise, it was Howard Dean. Well, that answer changed everything. After a couple dates I knew I found someone extremely special and had fallen in love.
My husband James & I just met through our best friends, Travis & Allie, they're dating each other, when I met Travis, it was on Halloween of 2007, he told me that I would fall in love with his best friend James, that were so much alike. I didn't think much of it at the time, but soon after, he brought him around and it was literally love at first sight, ever since then we've been inseparable. James proposed on Halloween morning of 2008, with a halloween basket, where he put the ring inside, and we were married July of 2009 (lucky 7/11), at the top of a hill over looking the ocean in downtown Ventura, it could not have been more perfect...
Alexandra Hearts Joe! An unlikely meeting
My fiancé Joe and I met in probably the most unlikely place for love to blossom.. A Phish concert!!! We had a mutual friend who kept asking me to come visit his campsite all day.. After taking in the sites and activities of day my friend and I decided to check it out.. Right when I arrived this guy (Joe) gave me a hug for some reason. I don't really remember this but he does.. I do however remember him!!! That night at the show I saw him again with his friends. I told my friend that night that I was going to make that guy my boyfriend.. After the show we went our separate ways but I never forgot him.. About a week later I was at the bank making small talk with the teller and she asked what I did last week. I told her about the Phish concert but nothing of Joe.. Another teller named Rob then asked me if my name was Alexandra (As a side note, I was probably 1 of maybe 30 black girls at the Phish concert in Seattle). I confirmed and he said "UMMMMMMM Joe HOLIEN would want me to tell you hello." Later on I found out that Joe had been talking about this girl (me) he had met at Phish to everyone he could get to listen, Rob has told me that he described me to a tee every chance he got.. I really did not want to embarrass myself in the bank so I waited till I got to the car to FREAK OUT!!!! Now with his last name I could find him on facebook.. Joe asked me out on Friday, he asked me to be his girlfriend on Sunday and he told me he loved me on Monday.. He is the love of my life and I can't wait to be Mrs. Holien. We always have Phish..
Mason: Well, it was Freshman Orientation and we were all spending the day at Castle Island in Boston Harbor. It was a long, HOT, and rather unadventurous experience. The most excitement was watching new guys meet new girls!
Marla: Actually, it was pretty exciting to mill through the ruins of the Castle/Civil War Fort--if you like to explore pitch black passageways, and wading on the rocky shore brought a little cool relief from the sweltering heat.
Mason: Okay, the castle was kinda cool. But, by the third time in the fourth hour it got old.
Marla: k, I'll give you that. but lounging on the grassy knoll and watching people fly kites was fun too!
Mason: Do what? I forgot about that. So, anyway, we were headed back towards Boston on the ferry when I noticed a cute blonde (Marla). I decided to go up and talk to her. I can't even remember what we were talking about...then this guy Chris comes up to us...Chris kept complaining about being sunburned.
Marla: I commiserated with him, as I was also quite red, but was really just trying to end the conversation so that I wouldn't have to smell his halitosis anymore. You have to understand that Chris didn't have a good understanding, or application of personal space. I think he was a few centimeters from my nose. I did my best to create some distance by turning my face into the salty spray coming up from the bay. Chris continued his whines, and then asked me if I had any aloe vera. (what?! we're on a ferry...yeah, I carry it in my purse for occasions just like this! not.) The best I could do was tell him that I did have some back in the dorm, and I would be glad to share once we returned to campus. He eagerly responded with, "I'm so happy, I could kiss you right now!" I whirled back to face him and declared, "You kiss me, and I'll get you thrown out of school so fast it'll make your head spin!" Chris didn't have much more to say, and disappeared somewhere on the ferry.
Mason: I thought to myself, "cute, and feisty-that's what I'm talking about! I gotta get to know this one."
Mason & Marla dated off and on through college, and finally got married 10 days after graduation.
Marla: Funny thing: I don't remember Mason being there at all...but I do remember that Chris never came to get the aloe!
I remember seeing him walk out to his car every now and then. It was a black Grand Prix, always shiny clean, with tinted windows. I thought for sure he must have a lot of money but would soon come to learn that his car's cleanliness was a pure result of pride. Pride of taking care of your possessions, your relationships and of course yourself. He was tall, handsome and very quiet. Not exactly my type. But there was something about him.
We started saying hello to each other. We stole quick glances from one another as he walked from his end of the apartment complex and I walked from mine to our shared staircase out to the parking lot. Our doors were 60 feet away from one another; I'd often look out of the peek hole to see if he was leaving. I would hate to be caught off guard if he were in the hall. I silently prayed our paths would coincidentally cross.
Neighbors started having parties. My roommates and I, and him and his roommates would sing the night away to Journey songs. We stayed up too late. Slept in too long. Made too much noise. Parties turned into quieter movie nights down the hall. Movie nights turned into phone calls and phone calls turned into dates. I'd ask him to always tell me something new. I wanted to know everything. We had a first very romantic dinner at Pizza Hut. He let me order my favorite: ham and green olives on my pizza.
It was then four years ago that we shared our first kiss. And I remember it like it was yesterday. I was clad in a white bed sheet thanks to a self-proposed third floor toga party that anyone should have been privileged to be a part of. I remember my roommates giggling when they saw. I remember my heart filling with butterflies that have blissfully morphed into a permanent happiness. A happiness that continually puts a smile on my face when life sometimes gets tough and things seem like they can't possibly get any better.
It was then a year and a half ago that on a dock on Anna Maria Island, my best friend pulled out a gorgeous ring and asked me to be his forever while the sun slowly rose over the horizon; a precursor to a new beginning and life full of promise. In 10 months I get to marry this guy. Together we get to start our own family, our own journey, hand in hand best friend to best friend. I am forever grateful to whatever divine power brought us together because we just fit. Hand in hand. And as hard as it is to not get caught up in the frill, lace and pinkness that is slowly becoming our wedding day, I've finally realized what this is all about: a marriage and not so much a wedding. APB, thank you.
The night before we were both to go visit our families separately for Christmas, we has a fight. He had decided to make his fabulous buffalo wings. We are talking 3 coats of flour, deep fryer, perfect spicy sauce. And yet, he had not enough to share with me. Was this indicative of our future? I wondered! I caused quite the stir over the chicken wings.
After work the next day, right before his flight to the East Coast, my Charles wanted to take me out to dinner. I usually had to insist upon stopping home prior to such outings to let our gorgeous, leggy, Rhodesian Ridgeback out to the bathroom, but this time I didn't - I wonder why! Why would he need to stop home?
We had a great tex mex dinner (crab and shrimp enchiladas! margaritas!), and then Charles insisted on us taking a scenic drive through Seattle, even though he hadn't packed for his impending flight. We stopped at a gorgeous new park that has an undulating display of LED lights (we are techies, we appreciate such things) and he pulled out a little red box. OH MY GOD. I cried, I hugged him with all fours. Guess that whole chicken wing thing was just to throw me off...
Dan and I met while we were both volunteering at our university's Dance Marathon benefitting the Children's Miracle Network. Every hour on the hour the dancers all participate in a coreographed line dance and Dan and I were just right near each other for the first one. Well then the second dance we saw each other and 34 more later we had a date lined up for the next weekend. Four years later he asked me to marry him.
I have been reading a few posts on here and have picked up some great info. One thing I have found which works really well for a good nights sleep, feeling more relaxed and focused is binaural beats. As strange as they may sound (excuse the pun) they are a very powerful method of relaxation.
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