Our Engagement Story

As many of you know, I am engaged! It happened in August of 2016 and I am finally sharing the story with you all to kick off my #WeddingWednesday series. I’ll be posting up until, and a little after, our wedding. I definitely want to hear what all you guys reading want to know about– planning, tips, my experiences, etc. I figured what better way to kick off the series than telling the details about the night I became a bride-to-be and sharing our engagement story.

A little back story

My fiancé’s name is Charles. He is from a small town in Eastern Arkansas just off the Mississippi River called Helena. I, as you all likely know by now, am from Dallas. We both went to the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville for college. However, that’s not really where we met. We had heard of each other and had a ton of mutual friends. We even lived next door to each other for a few months one Summer (but only interacted once for a hot second)! Charles moved to Dallas after he finished undergrad and graduate school to work. I was finishing graduate school in Little Rock and was oh-so-ready to move back to Dallas, so I came to town every weekend I could. Because we had so many mutual friends who had moved to Dallas after college, we inevitably met one weekend when I was in town. Charles ‘stole’ my phone and put his number into it, then messaged himself so he would have mine. We’ve talked every day since. The first weekend after we really hung out we messaged back and forth my entire drive (I wasn’t driving!) back to Arkansas. I was moving back to Dallas just 5 months after we started hanging out and the rest is history. We’ve been together for 5 years as of now!

LEading up to the engagement

I get asked all the time “Were you asking for a ring?” To be honest, I was begging for a puppy. haha! Which I’m sure if you’ve been following me on the blog and on Instagram, you know I got our sweet rescue puppy Maddie for my birthday (June of 2016). I sort of thought he might give me both a ring and a puppy at once almost as a joke to kill two birds with one stone. But, he didn’t. I’m really not a ‘rush someone into something’ type of girl. I never want to make someone do something they may later regret or feel they weren’t ready for. I was always happy with our relationship and the progression of it. We traveled together, traveled internationally and lived internationally for a few months together, lived together, and then finally got a puppy. So, I never felt like “What’s next?” And I definitely am not an ultimatum type girl.

Oh and let me add that I may have accidentally had a picture of my dream ring sent to me one day and so I had a feeling it was coming even beyond how long we had been together. When I got the puppy, it sort of surprised me, but I knew he had a plan and was eager to see what it was, but not to the extent of wanting to spoil it. I let him do his thing and resisted any urges to try to find anything out. Go me!

The proposal

Charles had told me a week or so ahead of time that one of his best friends from college and his wife were going to be in town and wanted to meet up while they were here. I was a week or so into a Whole 30 at this point so I wasn’t drinking and eating out is challenging, so I often just relax at home during my Whole 30 challenges. Therefore,he needed a plan to ensure I would do something out and about. The Sunday before they were coming in to town, he told me a specific plan for meeting at a hotel (which he said they were staying at) for a drink at a specific time. I thought this was a little odd, particularly because he was so specific. Plus, I although I love the hotel where he mentioned (Hotel Belmont), I can’t recall any of our out-of-town friend’s staying there  before.

When that night rolled around I kind of had a feeling. BUT, I had friends who had thought things were going to happen a certain way or at a certain time related to their engagements and when they didn’t, they ended up pouting and almost ruining the actual proposal. I did not want this to happen at all and really think that the idea in our mind of how things will or should happen ruins our happiness! So, I just went with it.

I was getting dressed and asked him to pick between two or three dresses and he picked the white one I’m wearing. He seemed nervous before we left and in the car, so I really started wondering what was up. When we got to the hotel and the valet was taking his car, he said something along the lines of his friend just texted and they were running late. He then said he remembered that hotel had an awesome view and we should walk to go see it. As we walked down to look at the skyline view of Dallas (really, one of the best), he was EXTRA nervous and started telling me that his friends weren’t really coming. He then said that he had brought me there to tell me how much he loved me and that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me, along with a ton of other sweet things that are ours to share and remember. He got down on one knee and then asked me to marry him!

A few moments after I said “YES!” (Duh) and he gave me my dream ring, a fellow blogger I take outfit pictures with sometimes popped out of the bushes with a camera. She had been taking pictures the whole time! I always love photos to remember EVERYthing by, so this was the perfect surprise and he really nailed it with having someone there to capture this once in a life time moment. I started face timing and calling friends and family, but had a few best friends who didn’t pick up. When I mentioned I was going to keep calling, he suggested I waited because his sister and her husband wanted to meet for a drink with one of my best friends. When we got to the cute little bar they were at, we went into a back room and I was SHOCKED by a ton of my family and friends who said “Surprise!” Friends from when I was 12 all the way to friends I’ve made in the past year or two filled a room and were there to celebrate us!

THE RING

My ring is a radiant cut, which is sort of a hybrid between cushion and emerald, with super skinny baguettes on each side. Even though I love gold jewelry, I wanted a classic, silver band. I plan to add gold in some stacks of wedding bands! I wanted this style because 1) I don’t know anyone that has one like it and 2) it’s so classic. He did SO good!

It was such a perfect proposal. I broke my first ever Whole 30 because I of course HAD to have champagne to celebrate. I wouldn’t change any part of our engagement night. Charles nailed it! I’m a very lucky girl.

Stay tuned for more #WeddingWednesday posts and let me know any topics you’d like to see! XO