He surprised me with tickets to see The Nutcracker at Lincoln Center in NYC last weekend. Since we started seriously talking wedding plans a few weeks earlier and looking at wedding rings, I did have an inkling, BUT the jeweler I really liked said it would take 4-6 weeks to get the ring in (this was early December), so I kind of let that dream sail.
We split a bottle of Veuve Clicquot (my favorite!) in our hotel suite, then took a cab to dinner at a French restaurant (La Boite en Bois) and indulged in an exquisite French feast and French wine. After dinner, we strolled over to the Lincoln Center.
It was gorgeous: the iconic fountain shone like liquid gold springing high into the winter's night and there was a huge lit Christmas tree perched on the balcony. I was full of French food, wine, and champagne and holding my love's hand. Bliss.
While I was admiring the fountain, he spun me around and put his hands around my waist. Then he did the whole saying sweet things (details are for me) and dropping to one knee...
And that's when the wine and champagne hit hard and I became dizzy, totally overwhelmed by the rainbow of lights and encroaching crowd who'd begun snapping pictures and watching his proposal.
My FI patiently waited on one knee while I surveyed the scene and took a pregnant pause to take it all in and get a hold of myself.
"YES!"
He divulged how he'd bought the ring from the first jeweler we saw because he knew how much I loved it and taking me to other jewelers had been a diversion; he'd also worked a deal with the original jeweler to get the ring there by our trip. He'd also called both my parents (divorced) a few days before to ask their permission (they live in California, we live outside DC).
Oh, advice: after you just get engaged and you're feeling on-top-of-the-world beautiful, DO NOT pose for a picture next to a teenage ballerina. Hahahah!
It's a quick engagement; weddings are great and all, but I'm more looking forward to being married and starting a family (we're both in our 30s): May 25, 2013.
