The Proposal.

So, it’s been a month since we got engaged! Time really flies. It is so crazy to think about all the new things that will be happening in the next year and a half or so. Move in together, leave the North End after 10 years of living right in the city of Boston (eek!), get a car after 10 years of not driving (ugh!), plan a wedding (and with that means rehearsal, shower, honeymoon, engagement photo shoot? engagement party?) all while running my own company, writing my blog, writing for CBS and Examiner, working at my new part-time marketing gig in the city, getting into “bride” shape, and all the other things life throws at me! Hmmm after writing all that I have to do, I suddenly feel stressed, scared, and like I need $ asap! Ha.

Anyway, I wanted to share the proposal story and for now, just be present and in the moment instead of anxious about the future!

The first thing everyone asks is if I knew he would propose and if I was surprised and the answer is yes and no. The actual day I was COMPLETELY surprised and thrown off guard and not aware. In terms of proposing in general, we have been together for 4 years, so I was of course ready and willing!

People have also asked if I picked out the ring and the answer is NO! I had mentioned that maybe we should go check some out and he was not all for it. He wanted it to be his gig! His gift to me and his process of searching for the perfect one. Now don’t get me wrong, I made it clear to my future SIL of what I liked and disliked and even had a Pinterest board with what I was really drawn to to show the bf and even hinted at my ring finger size, so with that knowledge he was able to pick me out my dream ring.

SO let me bring you back to the Monday before Christmas, December 23rd 2013. Lately I have been getting headaches, whether it is from stress, dehydration, or staring at a computer all day, I am not sure. A friend from high school invited us out for drinks and to celebrate some great news she had regarding her health. How well do my friends know me? She texted reminding me of our plans and basically saying you better not ditch us and I was already setting the ground work that it was possible that I would bail and relax at home because I felt sick and it was cold and very rainy out.

The bf was not having it. He was totally gungho about going out and was not letting me say no. He showed up at my place around 7pm to help rally me and as usual, his persuasion to get me out worked. We walked into a few boutiques on Salem Street to shop around for a gift for his grandma for x-mas, but left empty handed. We then approached the park I always go to in between the North End and the Faneuil Hall area and as luck would have it, the rain had cleared. It is a really pretty spot because you see the Boston skyline all lit up amongst the darkness and they had disco balls up on the awnings that created a snowflake, light effect on the ground.

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We are walking along toward the bar that was the meeting spot to see our friends, Granary Tavern. The bf looks at me and says “you know, I haven’t been honest.” At this point I probably looked at him like I saw a ghost. Then he says, “we are not going to celebrate our friends news. We are going out to celebrate us.” I literally was like “why would anyone celebrate us?” ha. I am quite the negative-nelly. And then he started his beautiful speech with everything a girl wants to hear about love, and being best friends, and wanting me to be his wife, and knowing he wanted to propose for awhile but was just waiting for the perfect time. Swoon (sorry for the cheese factor to any of his guy friends reading this right now. lol).

Anyways he got on one knee and everything, and opened the box and all I kept saying was Oh My God, Oh My God, repeatedly. With a high pitched “babe” thrown in there and shaking hands, teary eyes, and a look of shock on my face. I literally jumped on him for a hug and he was like “um, are you forgetting something” and then I looked at the ring and said yes and immediately put it on and we hugged and celebrated, just the two of us at the park!

Then I was like, “sooo are we really meeting our friends out?” and he was like yes of course let’s go. Anyways after taking some aspirin, chugging a water, and making our way to the bar, it wasn’t just the couple we were meeting at all! It was his close friends, his brother and wife, and a few of my friends too all ready and happy to take shots, eat some apps, and sip champagne.(boo for the dark blurry phone, bar pic).

I was really impressed he not only kept the secret about ring shopping, buying the ring, planning our engagement, pulling off said engagement, and even having an impromptu engagement party! It really was an unforgettable night filled with tons of calls and texts between us and our family and friends who weren’t out with us, celebrating, drinking, and even a few gifts from his brother and his wife, which were ridiculously thoughtful.

For me – bridal magazines and $ for a manicure, and for us- as a couple, an ornament that says celebrate for our first X-mas as an engaged couple! The end, or as they say, the beginning!

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