The Proposal



I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! ...Just kidding. Jon and I are in an adult relationship and have understood that this is a big decision that we need to make together so we've been talking about this for a long time. Plus, he's a terrible liar, and I completely guessed when he was going to pop the question. But even if I knew it was coming, I still could not be more excited about marrying the best person I know.

We're so lucky to have a lot of family and friends asking us for details, so I thought it would make thing easier if I just wrote a post about it that I could share. Well, also I want to talk about this all the time to anyone who will listen. Anyone who knows me knows that brevity is not something I know well, so prepare for more than anyone would ever care about reading.



Some History
Real quick before I get into the proposal, I just want to share what it's been like leading up to this. For context, or if you're new here, Jon and I have been friends for about 11 years. We met in high school and became really close for almost two years before we ever dated. We dated for a little bit right after he graduated (right after my junior year), but we broke up after a couple of months when he was moving away for college and we realized that it was better to end things and stay friends rather than try to make long distance work. (Fun fact: he was my very first boyfriend.) We managed to stay good friends for years, both dated other people, and we both moved back to Orange County after graduating from college. We spent a lot of time together trying to navigate post-grad life, and looong story short, we started dating again about six months after I moved back home (five years after we originally dated). That was four years ago.

Because we had been friends for so long, we both knew that if we were going to start dating again and potentially risk that, it had to be the real thing. It really didn't take long to realize that we'd get married. We've lived together for two and a half years, and we've been talking about it seriously for probably the last year or so. Because of that, I'd been expecting this to happen for a while, and as much as I hate to admit it, I started getting a little impatient for no reason. What can I say? We both knew we wanted to do it, and I've been excited to marry him. Also, I'm a control freak so the fact that I couldn't know this huge detail in a relationship or when it would happen was driving me crazy. He was such a trooper dealing with me bugging him about it.


The Proposal
Funnily enough, I correctly guessed his original plan a while ago, and around the time he changed it, I correctly guessed that too. Jon's aunt and uncle have a condo in San Diego that they kindly let us stay in whenever we want (they live in Minnesota but spend a few months of the year there), and we decided to plan a weekend trip a few months ago. It's not out of the ordinary at all for us to do that (it's a free place to stay that's really nice) so it wasn't immediately a dead giveaway that he'd propose there. Hell, I think I may have even been the one who suggested we plan a trip. 

I was pretty convinced that he was going to do it on our anniversary at the beginning of February, but over the last month, I started to realize that he was probably going to do it in San Diego instead. He dropped a lot of hints - some accidental, and some because he felt bad that it was driving me crazy. He actually told me last month that he had talked to my parents about it. He also said that his uncle knew his plan (my first clue), actually remembered the date we were leaving (I usually have to remind him a few times), and he told me last week that he was going to be stressing out about multiple things over the next week. I had a gut feeling and was convinced this was it, and I told a lot of my loved ones my guess. I would have been a little embarrassed if I had been wrong at this point. 

Obviously, I wasn't. I didn't know exactly when or how he'd do it during the weekend, but luckily, he did what I was hoping and did it early on so we could enjoy the rest of the time as an engaged couple. We got into San Diego late Friday night, and his aunt and uncle actually left a bottle of champagne with a bow in the fridge. We both saw it, but we hilariously both pretended not to. On Saturday morning after I had gotten ready, I came out to find him in the living room. He had lit a bunch of candles and created a cute little setting, and after saying some incredibly sweet things, he popped the question. I had half-jokingly given him a list of ways that I didn't want to be proposed to (in my food, at Disneyland, at our old high school, etc.), but the one thing that was really important to me was that it wasn't really public. It feels like such a personal thing, and I get nervous easily in big crowds, so I never wanted a scene. This was perfect. We've spent a lot of special weekends in San Diego, and it was the first place we ever took a trip to together after we started dating. He completely nailed it. I know it's a little untraditional that I was pretty involved and that it wasn't a surprise, but we both hate the tradition that it's "supposed to be" out of nowhere for the bride despite the fact that it's a really big decision for us to make together. We've always been proud of the fact that we're equal partners in our relationship, and it didn't make sense for us to do this in any other way. 

After talking to our families and closest friends, we had the best weekend together. We went to the farmer's market, spent some time in Balboa Park, ate a lot of food, and watched a lot of Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. It could not have been more perfect and relaxed.


The Ring
At one point in the fall, Jon confessed that the only reason he hadn't proposed yet was because of saving up for a ring. I assured him that while I would wait as long as he needed, this wasn't about the ring for me, and I really didn't need much. I'm not just saying that. I don't wear much jewelry, and I've never really dreamed out what kind of ring I'd have. Neither of us had a ton of money to spare, and considering how inconsistent his work schedule was at his old job (he's starting a new job this week!), the last thing I wanted was for him to feel pressured to buy something expensive. Both of our moms had rings they'd expressed being willing to pass down, and after that conversation, I was pretty sure he'd go that route. 

What he ended up giving me was his grandma's wedding ring, and my goodness is it perfect. I've always loved the idea of having a vintage engagement ring, but I never expected him to actually give me one. I don't know the exact year, but we're estimating that it's from either the late '40s or early '50s. It feels so much more my style than any new ring he could have bought. 


What's Next
So that's the story! And yes, I somehow managed to make a very short story about our proposal into a very long one that no one asked for. Because I've known this was going to happen for so long, I've already mentally prepared and have started coming up with some ideas. I promise that we're enjoying this time together, but I also love planning things and am going to waste no time. 

That said, I have zero information yet. I have no idea when or where it will be, but I can't wait to decide. I also can't wait to write about things because I think weddings are fascinating, and I have a lot of thoughts.

More than anything though, I'm feeling incredibly lucky. I'm lucky to have the most incredible fiance (WEIRD) who is honestly my dream man, and we're both lucky to have so many loved ones who are supporting us. I know it's cheesy, but I can't wait to enjoy every moment of this time in our lives. 

3 comments

  1. AAAAAHHHH! Best wishes to you to you both!!!!! This was so sweet to hear. Never apologize for sharing your story. Also, it is adorable that you both ignored the champagne in the fridge till the right time.

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  2. YES! Congrats to both of you!!! I can't wait to hear so many details about your wedding planning. Also, love the ring. So unique and so special!

    Priya the Blog

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