Many of you know the basic details of how we met- we worked together at an ad agency in New York City. Sherry was the copywriter on the account that I helped manage. We first crossed paths making this baby commercial (she wrote the script and I sold it through to the client) and the rest, as they say, is history (yes that’s Becki Newton who’s now on Ugly Betty). So here’s the play-by-play of our engagement (as told by the proposer and the proposee):
SHERRY: We love to reminisce about how we met and fell in love in NYC, but after dating a while it was clear that neither of us saw ourselves living in Manhattan for life. The hustle-and-bustle of the city paired with the increasing stress of our long-houred jobs started to cramp our style and cut into our quality time so we finally decided that we’d enjoyed the experience long enough (John was already itching to get out after two years and after over six years I was slowly coming to the same conclusion). So I approached John and said the words he later confessed he was dying to hear: let’s blow this pop stand. But where should we go…?
JOHN: When Sherry told me she was willing to leave Manhattan I suggested my warmer, calmer, and greener home state of Virginia, and when she excitedly agreed (in less than a second) it only reconfirmed that this was more than your average relationship (we settled on Richmond because my sister lived here, it still has an artsy/metropolitan edge, and there’s a good advertising presence here which gave us a fighting chance of landing jobs when we arrived). Making those decisions together: to quit our jobs, hunt for a new apartment in a new city and announce to our parents that we were moving in together basically forced us to evaluate whether or not we were in this for the long haul. It had only been about 6 months, but we were both certain that we were in it for keeps. I made the decision to propose to Sherry before we even left New York City. And we posed for a few bad-ass New Yorker pics in front of the skyline before we hightailed it outta town…
SHERRY: I was pretty sure that John was going to propose at some point, because we’d had very honest discussions about our future and where we saw things going but I had no idea when. I wasn’t in any rush either. I liked the excitement of knowing that it was coming (I probably wouldn’t have made the move without some confidence of this) so I reveled in the knowledge that it would probably happen when I least expected it.
JOHN: Based on some hints from Sherry and advice from her best friends, I actually snagged an engagement ring before leaving the city. But with so many things in flux (quitting my job before firmly securing a new one) it didn’t feel right asking Sherry to marry me until I was gainfully employed. So on February 25, 2006 we packed up and moved in Richmond, Virginia in a minivan as boyfriend and girlfriend (with that sparkly ring burning a hole in my pocket). Here’s Sherry with our coworker Heather (who was one of my ring “advisors”) at our going away party in NYC.
SHERRY: Our first few weeks in Richmond were exciting (I segued into being a freelance copywriter which allowed me to work from home while John hit the streets for a new gig in downtown Richmond) but there was a certain lingering question – and I was pretty sure John had the ring. As I assured certain pushy family members that John would soon propose to me (a few of them were all over me about moving in without being betrothed) many of them guessed that that it might happen on my birthday that was coming up on March 19th.
JOHN: I had no plans to propose to Sherry for her birthday. I was waiting to officially land a job (I’d interviewed for a bunch and was just waiting for the call…) and then I’d plan the perfect way to pop the question. Though I did have an idea of proposing to Sherry at the summit of one of my favorite hikes in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I figured it’d be a quintessential “welcome to Virginia” proposal. After all, we had traded skyscrapers for mountains, right? So imagine my surprise when my cousin and little sister spontaneously invited us to join them to hike that very peak on the day before her birthday: March 18th (here they are hiking it below).
SHERRY: Our first few weeks in Richmond meant we were basically joined at the hip since I was working from home and John was waiting for a job offer to roll in, so I guess it left him very little alone time for conniving and proposal planning. But all that together time would change when, just a few days before my birthday weekend, John got news that he’d gotten a new job at a Richmond ad agency. Oh happy day! I was thrilled for him because he was obviously anxiously awaiting that call.
JOHN: With the new job in place, I could finally put my proposal plans in motion. I had the ring, the hike was scheduled and now I just had to ask Sherry’s parents’ permission. Not a simple task given that Sherry was by my side nearly 24/7 and her mom & stepdad were leaving on a cruise mere hours after I found out I landed my new job. But during a work call that Sherry was on, I managed to leave messages for both her mom and her dad. Her mom later returned the call (Sherry was in the car with me, so I couldn’t pick up) and left a voicemail expressing her approval and excitement. I also later got an e-mail from her dad that contained just one character – “!” – that I assumed meant good things. I later learned he didn’t say more out of fear that Sherry would see the message. The last thing on my list was to tell my own parents. I snuck in a phone call later that day and, just my luck, got the answering machine.
SHERRY: I had no idea John was sneaking in these pre-proposal phone calls, and I thought nothing of it when John got a random call from his dad that afternoon. It should’ve been a clue that John nervously exited the apartment to continue the conversation outside, but he covered it up well with a story that his dad was giving him advice about a car tire question we had been discussing earlier (when I peeked out the window he was bent over looking at the tire while on the phone). In fact I was so convinced by his sly little tie cover-up that as we laid in bed at night I kept asking if he thought the tires were ok. Which amuses John to no end, even to this day.
JOHN: I was pretty sure my tire-diversion worked, but I was mainly just pleased to hear my parents sharing in my excitement over my proposal plans for the following Saturday. They were thrilled to welcome Sherry into the family, so with that in place I just anxiously waited a couple of days for Saturday to roll around. When it did, I snuck the ring box into our camera bag and packed it into my backpack along with water, trail mix and other normal hiking supplies.
SHERRY: I was super excited about our hike, even though it was a little cold that morning. Joining us was John’s cousin Travis, his sister Carrie and her boyfriend. It seemed like a perfectly normal event, so I just concentrated on enjoying the hike which, if you’ve ever hiked it, is a bit challenging. It’s almost 6 miles, including lots of rock scrambling. I like to joke that John really made me work for my ring. You think I’m kidding about the rocks…
JOHN: I had already told our hiking companions about my plan: get to the mountaintop, eat lunch, then make yourselves scarce so I can do my thang. Well, they got those last two steps a bit confused and as soon as we got to the top everyone disappeared. I hadn’t mentally prepared myself, so there was an awkward moment where I had to chase after the others and whisper to to them that eating together was first on the agenda. I think Sherry noticed something weird about the exchange, but it didn’t blow my cover completely.
SHERRY: They all sort of chuckled out of earshot so I just thought I missed a joke or something. But I was super excited to reach the top of the mountain since I was totally exhausted from the climb. Being such a short girl there were parts where I actually had to be hoisted up some tall rocks by two people (one above and one below) since I’m not quite long-limbed enough to get ‘er done by myself. But after a bit of rest and food I was rarin’ to get back to hiking and excited that the rest of the trail would be downhill. It was also pretty chilly up on the top of the mountain, so I was looking forward to moving again. So I was a bit caught off guard by John’s insistence that we snap a bunch of pictures before leaving, but I played along (after all, the scenery was beautiful and after all that climbing it made sense to soak it up a bit). The two of us headed off to take a photo together (we love self-portrait photos where John’s extended hand acts as the tripod) but as we posed for our usual snapshot, the camera died. Ugh. But John reassured me we had more batteries in the bag.
JOHN: The camera dying was really me pushing the “off” button rather than the shutter. All part of my plan to have to go into the camera bag to get “new batteries.”
SHERRY: So while John went to get a new camera battery, I decided to keep myself warm by doing some goofy jumping jacks.
JOHN: I bent down to fish out the ring from the camera bag and spun back around on one knee, ring box propped open and simply asked “Sherry, will you marry me.” The jumping jacks came to a quick halt.
SHERRY: I was in complete and utter shock. All I remember was that I froze mid-jumping-jack and then ran over to John and jumped into his lap (he was still kneeling).
JOHN: With Sherry in my lap, I reminded her that she needed to say “Yes” to make it official. She did. We kissed. She cried. We ignored the random hikers that traipsed by a moment later. It was great.
SHERRY: After a few minutes of basking in the just-engaged glory (I still couldn’t believe it) we emerged from our secluded lookout point to be greeted by John’s sister and cousin who were both waiting with bated breath. I choked out the good news and lots of hugging, squeals and picture taking ensued (since the camera was in fact not out of battery). John’s cousin Travis even snapped this gem of a photo with us kissing in the background:
JOHN: The walk down the mountain was probably the best hike of our lives. We had forgotten about how cold it was and how tired our legs were. My sister Carrie even excited exclaimed to every passerby: “they just got engaged!” and strangers high-fived us and congratulated us as we passed by with permasmiles. And then one pair of hikers approached who looked vaguely familiar…
SHERRY: When we saw John’s parents walking up the trail towards us I couldn’t believe John had coordinated something so elaborate. Then I looked at him and realized he was just as surprised as I was. His parents, knowing the time and location of the proposal, surprised us both by showing up on the backside of the mountain and walking towards us. They cautiously asked “any news?” before congratulating us. I guess in our surprise I forgot to flash my ring.
JOHN: So we finished the hiking excursion with my beaming parents in tow. After getting back to our cars they treated us to a second lunch (all that walking made us hungry!) at a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant in nearby Sperryville. It was far from fancy – not exactly the storybook first post-engagement meal – but we loved it (in fact we still say “aww, remember that lunch in Sperryville?”). And I was just grateful that my parents suggested it because I realized my proposal plans didn’t really extend much past the actual popping of the question.
SHERRY: After lunch I was still totally stunned and smiling from ear to ear. I remember calling friends and family to share the big news (although I couldn’t tell my mom for a few days because she was still on her cruise). And a couple of days later we sent out an email announcement to everyone we knew – including all of our former coworkers who had no idea we were even dating (although it wasn’t technically against company policy, we kept our relationship under wraps because we didn’t want it affecting our work). Needless to say we got about thirty conference calls within minutes of hitting send with people screaming that they had no idea and claiming that we rocked their world. Which was a fitting reaction considering this was the email announcement that we sent out:
So that’s the tale of our mountaintop engagement. I’m sure many of you have equally exciting and complicated stories, so we’d love to hear some details about yours- where? how? did you know it was coming?
Bonnie says
Sweet proposal story!
I knew my husband of almost 3 years was going to propose soon- we’re bad with secrets, so I knew he’d talked to my parents and had the ring. He made plans one day with me to go out to a fancy lunch, just the two of us. We didn’t eat out much, so I was SUPER EXCITED because I knew exactly where this was going. I was all dressed up and out running a couple errands before he was supposed to pick me up, as my abundance of nervous energy could not be contained. About half an hour before he was to pick me up, he called – change of plans! My grandma needed help mulching, so we’ll just have sandwiches at her house instead. Lovely!
I was SO upset. I drove over to Gram’s house, and got out of the car to find a bench from the backyard right in the middle, a vase of flowers on it with a note. “Lunch is in the back.” My Papa had passed away a few months earlier, but before he died, he had often sat in a corner of the backyard on a bench under an old oak tree and looked out over the lake. There was my boyfriend, lovely lunch all set up under my Papa’s tree, and I just BAWLED when he got down on one knee.
We had also both forgotten that it was April Fool’s Day, so no one believed we were really engaged for days.
Diana says
Joel and I met in Chile studying abroad in college. He was from Wisconsin, I was from Virginia (a UR Spider). Somehow in Chilem, WI seemed like practically a neighboring state. Our friends said we should really meet, but it took Joel throwing a frisbee on campus that hit me in the head and for us to make contact of our own. I can relate to your “how have we been together nonstop for a week without one fight?” We both were scarily “into” the the other(too perfect? Is this for real?), and with a whole country to explore we traversed up and down the coast of Chile, staying in colorful hostels and seeing sides of each other that we would have never seen living in the states. As soon as we arrived back to the states, Joel came to my home down south for two weeks to get to know the fam, then I returned with him to Wisconsin for two weeks. One day there in WI we had a big discussion about how a ring wasn’t in the financial cards right now, and I was okay with waiting however long. Something this incredible isn’t going anywhere. I can The next day he took me to a nice restaurant. This might have been a tip-off, but I just knew it wasn’t a proposal dinner, because if he popped the question in front of stuffy fine-diners he would not know me at ALL! It was after that that he prepared a campfire at his parent’s land (10 beautiful acres in WI), and we went for a walk. “Take me to an enchanted forest,” I said, and we walked through the pine trees that his grandfather had planted there as saplings 50 years ago. Suddenly he stopped our walk and started jabbering about love and how wonderful our togetherness has been, and said something about forever. Confused about why he had stopped our walk, I realized he was shaking. When he got down and asked me to be his wife, I was so floored I couldnt talk. Two days later I had a bridal shower with 45 family members to be, and we were married 4 months later! I agree John and Sherry, and spent four months convincing friends and family that when you know, you know!
Hollie says
Ya’ll are so cute together! Love your story!
Actually love reading all the stories.
June 2004, my hubs and I were celebrating 2 years of dating with a weekend in Charleston. Fri evening, I got home from work to find a trail of rose petals from the front door of my condo to a lit candle in the dining room with a note about how money was tight and maybe we’ll just do something around town, starting with a scavenger hunt. I LOVE scavenger hunts. The hunt lead me to an outfit I was to wear, to a few other places and finally to the Duke Mansion (here in Charlotte, NC -when we were first dating, we’d secretly wade in their fountain to cool off during those hot/humid evenings). I arrived rather quickly and he was waiting on the front porch. We walked around to the lawn, where a bocci ball set was waiting for us beside a blanket and a picnic basket. We hung out for a while, chatting and picnicking. We were to keep our anniversary gifts to under $10, so he opened my gift (he had asked for a stick ball bat-lol) and then I opened his gift to me – a book. He had hand drawn and bound a book of our dating story! On the last page, he had drawn the lawn we were on, with him on a knee asking to marry me – when I turned around to look at him – he was doing exactly that! So sweet and quite a surprise! Said yes and we called my Mom. No answer. Called my Dad, he answered and the call was lost. I got frustrated bc I had to tell someone and wanted it to be them first! Turned around to see my parents/family, hub’s parents/family and our friends walking towards us! They had been waiting together in one of the rooms, watching the whole thing. Their signal to come down was my call to Mom. What a night. Everyone, but me, had known since March – when he had asked for parents permission and told people to save the (engagement party) date. LOL
Christin says
Great story!!
It was July 28, 2006 and my boyfriend (now husband) and I had a Friday night date night planned. I drove out to his side of town and we went out to play mini golf. It was a gorgeous day out and we had a blast(I won the mini golf game btw!). I honestly couldn’t tell that anything was going to happen. I knew that we’d get married but it had only been about 6 months and I thought an engagement was at least another 6 months away. After mini golf we headed to this amazing ice cream place in town – it’s a dairy farm that has an ice cream parlor. On the way we took a nice winding back road with parks along the route. I noticed swings and suggested we stop – little did I know he wanted an excuse to stop at the park. We parked and got out of the car and he was taking a minute longer to get out of the car because he said he had something for me. This set a spark off in my mind… but I still didn’t think he was going to propose. We walked to the swings and sat down next to each other. He handed me a card and I opened it and read it. He wrote a beautiful letter to me saying how much he loved me and I started to cry – then the last thing written was “Will you marry me”. I looked up at him and he was looking at me holding a gorgeous ring out. I was so surprised I asked him if he was serious! Then we stood up, hugged, and I finally made it official by saying yes. We made our way to the ice cream place and started calling all our friends and family. We went back to my husband’s parents house where they had champagne ready for us to celebrate. One of the best things about how he proposed was that it’s all written down. I can read his proposal over and over again – and I do!
Congrats on 2 years and here’s to many many more for you!
allison says
Happy Anniversary John & Sherry! Your proposal story is very sweet. I wish you both a lifetime of happiness and love!
Tegan says
You guys are WAY too cute. I think the SMP chick who wrote about your feature had it right, I kinda want to move there just to be friends! :)
pwillow1 says
Not much of an engagement story here, sorry!
We knew each other for years from college, had dated, fallen in love, quarreled, broken up… and years later, we ran into each other again quite by accident. We reconnected, did a lot of talking, started spending time together, though we lived 3 hours apart. Fell in love again. Worked out the differences. Finally, he moved in with me, but not before we Had A Talk. (There was no way I was going to live with any guy unless there was an understanding where this was going.)
Soon after, we developed some software which (quite unexpectedly) made us a lot of money. I was going to buy a house, he suggested we pool our money and buy a bigger one together, and that’s kind of when we decided to get engaged. No ring, no surprise proposal on bended knee, no asking my parents for permission beforehand, etc. (He knew my opinion on that anyway.)
The upside to all of this is, we had a nice, romantic long weekend in NYC ring shopping and I got to pick out my engagement ring. ;-)
We had wanted to elope but there was no way we could (without ever hearing the end of it from his mother.) So we decided not to tell anyone we were engaged and have a surprise wedding, instead. Our “cover event” would be a housewarming/birthday party. Our birthdays are only two days apart, we chose the weekend closest to them in the spring, and send out “save the date” cards and invites.
Our family and friends were kind of expecting an engagement party anyway, and S. had hinted to his friends and family that there was going to be a surprise and not! to! say! anything! to! me! And I went with the “I think he’s going to ask me to marry him!” story with my family and friends, so everyone was tiptoeing around thinking they were “in” on the surprise. Nobody suspected that we had something else up our sleeves.
So when our guests arrived and saw we were having a catered affair, they were cool with it. (Housewarming! Dual birthday! Surprise proposal or engagement announcement!)
When the time came, everyone was expecting either a public proposal or at least an announcement of “We’re engaged!” S. kind of hemmed and hawed a little out of nervousness, and I blurted out that we *were* engaged but that wasn’t the surprise. My mother’s face fell and my father and his mother blurted out “Uh-oh!” in unison. They thought we were going to announce we were expecting. This broke the tension and we all started laughing, and S. asked for a show of hands — who had thought we were announcing a pregnancy? Hands went up. Much laughter.
It was then we announced that our surprise was we were going to be married that day, in front of all of them. We had the officiant there incognito (she was very nicely passing herself off as a friend/coworker of ours.) S. and I excused ourselves to change into wedding finery and our guests had a little time to adjust to the surprise and have another drink. Or six.
And then we rejoined our guests and got married. And I can’t write anymore because I’m getting choked up thinking about the details. (And I really didn’t mean to derail this thread, either… sorry!)
Yansy says
I love your story and I never get sick of reading about it. You are both cutie pies and it’s very refreshing to see a young couple that loves and cares for eachother the way you guys do.
Robyn says
#1 Happy Anniversary – you two are so cute.
#2 My husband, Cliff, proposed to me in Hawaii. We were down by the beach, taking in the breathtaking view-that-is-Hawaii, and I turned to look at Cliff and he was gone. After a second of panic, I saw him pop out of the water about 20 feet away. Clothes on and everything. It was a wee bit strange, but my Cliff would do that sort of thing so I didn’t think it was all that strange. Anyway, he swam out a bit and then swam in to shore holding a square wooden box all wrapped up in twine above his head. He said he saw it floating out there and that we should open it to see what it was. I took one look at the box and wouldn’t open it. I thought it was a Hawaiian tradition that we shouldn’t mess with…like someone’s ashes or special treasure that they threw in the ocean years ago. After about 30 seconds of me refusing to open it, Cliff opened it (the whole time he’s on his knees in the water, mind you) and inside was a small box and a rolled up piece of paper. He handed me the paper from the box and said “what is it?” And I opened it and it said “will you marry me?”
I couldn’t believe it. It was unexpected for sure. I kept asking “is this really real” and he kept smiling saying “yes!”. Finally after I asked for the third time if it was real he said, “Yes, this is real. Look – Nick’s over there taking pictures” and I looked over and Nick, Cliff’s friend (we were on a group trip to Hawaii), was about 30 yards away with the camera. We have pictures of the whole thing. Cliff was still on his knees and we hugged and smooched and laughed and smooched.
He did good.
Lindsay @ Likely Design says
Happy Anniversary!! Today is a great day as my new baby niece was born this morning!! So that brings me to my question…when are the babies coming…?? ;) Congrats!!
Aimee says
Great proposal!! Happy anniversary!
Although we met my freshman year in college and didn’t want to marry until after we graduated, I soon got sick of referring to Jason as my “boyfriend.” It seemed so casual for what was obviously a lifetime commitment. He felt the same, but he told me often that since he couldn’t afford a ring, he didn’t want to propose yet. I’m ashamed to say that after nearly two years of dating, I broke down in sobs one evening after he’d said this again, telling him I didn’t care about the ring, and I just wanted to be engaged, damnit! I acted like a spoiled brat, to tell the truth.
He had me fooled! What I didn’t know is that he had the ring already (a sapphire dinner ring that he didn’t have to go into debt for – he knew I’d be upset if he spent money he didn’t have). He left it in my Christmas stocking at his parents’ house and proposed to me when I opened it.
As for the ring, the plan is to upgrade to a diamond someday. We still don’t want to go into debt for it, though, so my sapphire sits happily on my finger, along with the band we had made using diamonds from my grandmother’s 25th-anniversary band. I think I’ll pass on a diamond “engagement” ring now and go for an anniversary band for my right hand. :)
BD says
You two are so cute, I can’t stand it. I love the “big rock” announcement!
Sarah says
Sherry and John,
It’s funny how everybody loves to share their engagement stories! We are a fellow Richmond couple (or were until very recently) and our story has a lot of the same elements as yours. We worked together years ago at a restaurant in the West End but were in serious relationships with other people. About four years ago, both our relationships had ended and we were at a party one night and looked at each other and just knew. I was poised to move away in a few months and we had a whirlwind summer before I left. Couldn’t get enough time together. The distance did us in after my move and in a year I was back in Richmond and we were back together. Six months later we moved in together downtown and two years after that we decided we needed some broader horizons. We wanted to be closer to family and in a bigger city that had more opportunities for him (he’s a chef). So two days before we left Richmond (and the day after the movers came) we decided to get out of our empty (and hot!) apartment and head to the the Greek Festival,one of our favorite Richmond traditions. As we were getting in the car, I was in mid-sentence as he reached over and presented me with his grandmother’s diamond in a gorgeous setting he had picked out. I was so surprised I just stared at him for so long that he thought I was going to say no! Of course I said yes, and we are now in Minneapolis planning a new life together! We read your blog all the time and can’t wait to start house-hunting and wedding planning (we’re doing it outside at my aunt’s house) so we can put some of your great advice into action! Thanks for all the inspiration!
Marisa says
Aww, I still love reading your proposal story. Happy anniversary, guys. :-)
Here’s my story: every year, Dan’s parents hold a Christmas tree-trimming party at their house in Queens (New York). A few weeks before the party, they announce a theme and everyone is expected to bring an ornament relating to that theme, present it to everyone else at the party, and then hang it on the tree.
2008’s theme was “What’s the one thing you wouldn’t give up in this tough economy?” Dan and I settled on a little gold heart ornament (which we picked up in Rite Aid for $1 the night before the party!) and decided that our answer would be “Each other.” Little did I know how he really planned to capitalize on that theme! When it was our turn to present our ornament, Dan did the talking, saying that we would never give each other up. Everyone ooh-ed and aww-ed, and I thought he would hang the ornament on the tree and be done with it. Instead, he paused for a second and then continued: “I would never give Marisa up for anything, obviously, because we really have the perfect life. We have two cats, a great apartment, and so many memories…but there’s one thing missing.” Then he got down on one knee, whipped a ring box out of his back pocket, and asked me to marry him in front of the 30+ people crammed into his parents’ living room!
I choked out a shocked “yes,” the screams were defeaning, Dan’s mom ran to get the expensive champagne she’d been saving for years…and the rest is history. Dan and I are getting married this November 14!
Amy @ Renovation Innovation says
Great story. I can just imagine Sherry doing jumping jacks as John is proposing to her. Very funny. Happy anniversary!
Susie says
So sweet and thoughtful. Happy 2nd Anniversary!
Lise says
Awe.
layersofmeaning says
Happy anniversary!!!!
I wish you a lifetime of happiness…
Kiesha Migura says
I actually just got engaged last Saturday!!! It was at the Frio River in Concan, Texas. This is a vacation spot that myself and my family have been going on for 19 years. My boyfriend, Jacob, ooo wait scratch that my FIANCE!!! and I walked down the to falls Saturday after dinner and I knew something was up but I thought he was just being quiet. I am sitting on a rock in the river just talking and rambling on and he walks up in front of me and says I am usually good with words…. but and kneels on one knee in the river!!! And asks me to marry him! I was completed shocked. I couldn’t even talk!!! Needless to say since I am all about moments, we rolled the 300 pound rock up the back the next day so I could keep the exact rock that I sat on the night he proposed!!! It was amazing!!! By the way, your wedding has inspired me to try to do a garden wedding of my own! Thanks for blogging!!! I love reading all your DIY projects!!!
Johnna says
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!
From one 07/07/07’er to another!!!
I hope that your day is awesome! I love your wedding album and the lovely proposal story!
My hubby proposed 1/28/06 by completely surprising me after I finished work at my second/ weekend job! I was dilly dallying around the mall, and Williams Sonoma (where I worked weekends) and kept calling him to ask if I thought we needed to buy this or that…reminding him that it was the post Christmas sale and being that I had first dibs and a discount, shouldn’t I just grab it up? He was VERY patient!
When I got home all the lights were out in the house, and I remember thinking what a sloth he must be to be at home ALL DAY and never have turned a light on! Much to my surprise when I opened the door there were rose petals all over the floor and candles lit everwhere and there was the soon to be fiance all dressed up…I was all ready to yell about how lazy he’d been and there he was all romantic…I still hadn’t caught on.
I asked what he was doing in there with rose petals all over the floor…that’s when he got all mushy and said so many lovely things…next thing I knew he was down on one knee asking me to be his wife! I was so happy I got down on my knees too and hugged him (saying yes of course!)
Then we got to do all the calls and shared a lovely vintage bottle of Dom P (a holiday gift I had tried and tried to break into but had been told to save for a “special day” – little did I know!)
It was lovely! And we tied the knot 07/07/07 in Princeton, New Jersey!
Congrats to you on two wonderful years of wedded bliss!!! And best wishes for many many more!
Johnna
LauraC says
Happy Anniversary!
It was fun to hear more details of your proposal and from both perspectives, and Sherry, thank you for teaching me a new word – seque(d)!
My husband and I also have a very special story and he managed to surprise me Valentine’s Day 2004, and even though I knew it was coming (he was leaving for Army Basic Training). He also proposed at the end of a hike, but what made it really special was that he had made a photo album with a picture of each one of our hikes over the past several years (we had just been friends) and captioned them with things that he loved about me. A picture of the ring with “Will you marry me?” was the last photo! What a sweetie!
amy t schubert says
considering that my husband’s original plan was to propose at the park we were considering for the wedding location? … yes, I knew the proposal was coming.
Didn’t make it any less special
Heather says
My fiance and had been dating for about 3.5 years and I was getting kind of antsy since almost all of his friends were engaged or married and a couple that was dating 6 months less than us got engaged. I took him on a trip to Boston for the weekend for his birthday and one day we wound up stopping in Cartier on Newbury St and I wound up showing him what I liked. A few weeks later, we went to a store in NYC and I got more specific.
I had no idea it was coming. His friend Dina emailed everyone saying she was throwing a surprise party for her boyfriend at a lounge in Hoboken, NJ (across the river from NYC with beautiful views of the skyline). Jeff suggested that we get dinner at a restaurant next door before the party. I wound up getting there first and called him and asked if I should wait inside or outside. He said, “Wait on the benches across the way by the river.” I sat there reading my US Weekly waiting.
His original plan was to leave work early, take the bus to my apartment, change, and have flowers waiting in the apartment when we got there. He was on the bus from NYC and they wound up getting stuck in the Lincoln Tunnel for over an hour. He kept calling my friends and his friends because he was so nervous about his plan getting messed up. Jeff called me to tell me the traffic situation and I said, “Don’t worry… I’m just sitting here listening to my ipod and reading a magazine.” It was a gorgeous day so I didn’t mind. A woman on the bus asked him if he was talking to his girlfriend on the phone and he said yes. She asked how long we had been dating and he said 3.5 years and she said, “What are you waiting for?” and he said, “What do you think the roses are for?” and she said, “You’re proposing?” and everyone on the bus turned to look at him. He said, “Yea if I ever get off of this bus!”
He finally got to me and he was all out of breath and I said, “Look up! There are helicopters over the Lincoln Tunnel! Something serious must have happened!” he looks up and goes, “Um yea”. He sat down next to me on the bench and said, “Remember how I promised I will always make you happy? I promise to make you happy for the rest of your life.” He got down on one knee and I was shaking, crying, and laughing. I kept saying “Oh my god!” because I couldn’t believe it was happening and the ring was so beautiful!! A woman was taking a picture of the NYC skyline next to us and took a picture of us proposing and sent it to us. It was so crazy!
He told me there was no party and that it was all an excuse to get me there. I said, “No party?” haha I was disappointed because I love parties and I kept telling people to stop by because I was going to be there that night. Instead we went out to dinner at another restaurant on the water with a gorgeous view of the skyline and he had everything planned so we would have a great view and had friends of ours meet up with us for drinks.
I called my parent’s house and cell phones and no one was answering! I left a crazied message saying, “I have the biggest news of my life and no one is able to hear it!” My mom eventually called back and said, “Dad knew and took me to the loudest Italian restaurant for dinner! What was he thinking?” haha
We’re be getting married in 100 days and we couldn’t be more excited!
Sarah Jean says
My husband took me to Mahi-Mahi’s at the VA Beach oceanfront for our first date then we met my parents, brother & his wife at the Purple Cow (a diner) for dessert. Yes – he met my parents, brother & sister-in-law on our 1st date & stuck around for more. So two years later he took me back to Mahi-Mahi’s for our “anniversary dinner” then after took a detour to the beach where he proposed!! Turns out he’d taken my parents to lunch earlier and asked for their blessing so they were waiting for us (again) at the Purple Cow. It was surprise after surprise for me! He’s the best!!
Kate Hill says
Happy Anniversary! My One Year is only about a month away, and I can’t believe it.
After years of hoping for a romantic engagement, I actually somewhat foiled my husband’s plans. He decided to propose on June 1, 2007. We started dating at the end of high school, so this date was our seventh anniversary of dating. All week I’d been bugging him about what he wanted to do, and he kept saying he just wanted to keep it low key. I started to feel a little let down. I knew we’d get engaged at some point, but didn’t think it would happen soon. Meanwhile, I didn’t know he’d already bought the ring, asked my Dad’s permission, and told a close friend.
When I got home from work and the gym that night he told me to get dressed nicely, we had reservations in an hour and half. He had a dozen roses for me, and talked my ear off as I got ready. (I’m usually the chatty one.) Still, I was thinking he’d just planned a nice dinner. He took me to a local restaurant that we really enjoy. He hoped to propose at the restaurant. But he didn’t tell them what he was doing and they seated us near the kitchen and bathroom. He started doing some quick thinking, and suggesting all sorts of romantic things we could do after dinner.
Meanwhile, I had decided I really wanted to go to Walgreen’s and print out some current photos of our niece. So every time he suggested something, like dessert to go and eaten by moonlight or a walk by the river, I just kept insisting on going to Walgreen’s. Finally, as we left the restaurant my husband noticed the very full, orange moon and the garden edging the parking lot. He decided this was his moment, he asked me to wait a moment before I got in the car. I stood, thinking I was getting a quick kiss. I was completely surprised when I felt a ring slide on my finger instead! I was especially caught off guard because we were in a parking lot! I excitedly jumped up and down and said yes! The ring was one I had told a friend a year before that I kind of liked when we were browsing at a jewelry store for no real reason. He’s remembered to ask the friend which one it was. I on the other hand, had completely forgotten ever pointing it out. At that moment I couldn’t believe how perfect it was.
We never went to Walgreen’s after all, we went to tell my family. But after several years of waiting, he did find a way to surprise me after all!
Like Sherry and John, we did a lot for our own wedding, so we were actually married a year after. I can’t believe how quickly time flies! Happy Anniversary again.
Carrie says
Happy anniversary! Such a sweet story…the jumping jacks thing was hilarious!
My husband proposed to me on a mountain, too…and on the same day (3/18/06)! I was in my last semester of grad school and constantly consumed by class projects and my thesis. Spring break was coming up, and I promised my hubby I would take the week off to relax and do something fun. We had talked about marriage before, and I knew a proposal was coming, but I assumed he would pop the question after graduation in May. Well, since I was busy with school, he planned a day trip to Roan Mountain in Tennessee during my spring break. It started out as a perfect day (sunshine, warm weather), but soon it turned cloudy, windy and FREEZING cold. I was ready to head back home, but he was determined to find a certain “spot” he’d “heard about.” I thought, “he’s insane. I’m headed to the car.” I stuck it out, and I’m glad I did…the “spot” was a huge rock on the TN/NC state line (our home states). He suggested that we stop there to rest for a minute, and while we sat there wrapped in a huge blanket to block the freezing wind, he pulled a ring out of his jacket pocket and proposed! I screamed and jumped up and forgot all about the cold. I practically skipped down the mountain! When we got back home, my sister was there waiting with friends and champagne. Perfect! We got married November 4, 2006…still happy and still visit Roan Mtn. every year.
YoungHouseLove says
Wow Carrie. Same exact day plus a mountaintop proposal! It’s such a small world.
xo,
s
Sarah says
Sherry and John, Congratulations!!! I just wanted to take a moment to tell you I found your blog by complete accident, I was searching for some unique ideas for small spaces and there was a link that featured your bedroom storage fixtures to your website!! I just want to say I am in love with all your great ideas, thank you so much for sharing your awesome inspirations and keep up the good work :O)
Tiffany says
My husband’s proposal was wonderful (I don’t remember this detail, but he says I kept laughing excitedly and he had to remind me to say “yes,” too!), but almost more memorable was our first date. He doesn’t do subtle, and he doesn’t get hints. So he makes up for it by being very direct. That night we had gone to a Christmas concert, just hanging out as friends. By the end of the evening we were hanging out at a pub and he turned to me and asked, “What would you say about seeing me romantically?” I said, “I think I could do that.” Him: “So can this be our first date?” Me: “Sure.” Him: “So does this mean I get kisses?” Me (giggling b/c the man has cojones): “Sure.” Him: “Want another beer?”
It was great. I didn’t have to wonder if he liked me or if he was going to call me. From then on, we were dating. Six and a half months later we were engaged, and three months after that we were married. Best thing I’ve ever done!
ellessu says
Happy anniversary to you!! I agree, the jumping jacks make the story, lol.
I met my husband at work and we secretly dated for an entire year too. We got engaged on 3/3/00 while hiking in Sedona (one of my “happy” places). Imagine natty ponytail, dripping in sweat and covered in red dirt! Very romantic ;-). He completely surprised me since we were moving to Massachusetts the following weekend and my head was all about that! Now, we’ve been happily married for six years! :-)
Lisa says
I love your guys’ story. My husband and I also moved pretty quickly- when it feels right, why wait?
I’ve never really been surprised, so that was the one challenged my then-boyfriend had to cope with. Boy, did he succeed!
On an ordinary weekend night, he handed me an envelope, saying, “Hey, I just found this letter I wrote to you when we first started dating.” He asked me to read it out loud. So I opened it up and it was dated on the day we met, 5 months earlier.
Turns out, after our first date he felt sure we were meant for each other. So he went home, wrote me this proposal letter. He wrote that he had a great time, what a connection we had and at the end wrote, “will you marry me?”
His letter is framed, waiting for me to find the perfect spot (once I finally paint and decorate the living room!).
Natalie says
What a sweet engagement!
My husband and I are both from upstate New York, and he proposed to me in the City. For the story and pics, click the following link and scroll down to “Engagement Story”:
http://ghettofabnat271.xanga.com/?nextdate=10%2f7%2f2007+23%3a59%3a59.999&direction=p
Oh, and we now live in Lynchburg, VA, which is just a hop, skip, and a jump from Richmond. What a small world! Last weekend, we went with some friends to Kings Dominion (incredible roller coasters, and have you been on the Drop Zone?? Amazing!). We also went shopping at Short Pump, and I am officially jealous of you for living by such a fabulous mall!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Natalie,
So glad you were able to enjoy Richmond for a bit! We do love our hometown- especially because Kings Dominion is so close (we once had season passes there- fun!) and since Short Pump is another great place to spend the day (such good shopping). Hope you make it back here soon- and of course you can follow my lead and move from NY to VA someday. Here’s hoping…
xoxo,
s
Dana Miller says
You guys are too cute and such a great team! Never forget to take time for just J&S.
Hubby and I have been married for ~7 years now. Our engagement story is too long to post but basically it happened at our first meeting spot on our college campus. ALL my friends and his were in on it… I was the only one who didn’t know. I thought he was out of the state visiting family, so imagine my surprise! Fun stuff.
Heather says
*Sigh*
I’ve been living with and dating a man for almost 3 years with commitment issues, so no engagement story yet. I do have a nice ring, but it’s a “thanks for having my baby” ring. Bwahaha.
Mary says
My husband proposed the night of his graduation with his Masters degree. We were in downtown Chicago and he suggested we go to the Signature Lounge at the Hancock building. I thought it was odd, b/c neither of us drink, so why go there. But he kept suggesting it, so I started to get suspicious. I was very nervous for some reason. So we get up there, snag a seat by the window and order a quesadilla, wich I couldn’t even eat b/c I was so nervous. Then he gets down on one knee and proposes over candlelight and a quesadilla! Afterwards we left and we each called our families. My sister shrieked in my ear, acting all surprised, but she really knew it was going to happen b/c he had called her first to run it by her!
Kathleen says
You two are perfect together. Reading this made me so happy. :)
hmc says
My husband and I met in architecture school and didn’t date until after graduation. He and his friends had been talking for years about quitting their jobs and hiking the entire Pacific Crest Trail (Mexico to Canada) so 2 years into dating they decided it was now or never, so they all quit their jobs and I drove the 3 of them down to the San Diego border (from Portland, OR) and dropped them off to start their 6 month long adventure. That summer they hiked 2600 miles and I spent the summer working, sending them care packages and attending a few weddings sans my +1.
By the time my boyfriend at the time had made it into Oregon/ Washington in home turf they were hiking 30+ miles a day and my plans to join them were foiled by their mileage and speed.
Plans turned into meeting him at the US/ Canada border, by hiking 9 miles in from Canada to meet them. So on the scheduled finish date I hiked to meet my boyfriend, with his mom and sister and after 6 months and 2600 miles he proposed at the finish line! His sister had the ring and they did a bate and switch behind my back. Other hikers knew of the plans and had hiked in just to watch the proposal. I had no idea and it was the greatest surprise ever!
Becka @Studio222 Photography says
CUTE! Nate and I just got engaged on June 1st on vacation. Maybe in a few years I can tell our cute story all over again on our blog ;)
And how cool is it that you guys were such fancy pants ad people?! ;)
Megan says
I also had a mountain top proposal. Hubby and I had backpacked for over 12 months and had bought a ring together in the gold markets of Dubai so i knew it was going to happen eventually. I didn’t expect it to happen when we both had food poisoning and were wandering misserably around Machu Picchu, Peru. After all the walking and no food due to feeling ill, I didn’t feel like hiking up a mountain for a view of Machu Picchu covered in fog, so I decided I wasn’t going to climb it. Rick was less than impressed with this idea and tried to force me to come along but I dug my heals in and tried to stay put. He resorted to the guilt trip on me saying “Please! Just do it for me”. Obviously I had no idea why he felt so strongly about climbing the mountain but I gave in and agreed to climb. We set off and once we made it to the top found a nice cozy place to watch the clouds shift over the site, occasionally entirely blocking it from view. After about an hour and a half of sitting I was ready to go back down but Rick wanted to sit and enjoy the moment for a bit longer and suggested we head over to the other side of the viewing point to get away from the continuous stream of people. By this time it had started raining and so we were huddled under an umbrella which Rick handed to me. I could see him fumbling around in his pocket and thought he was getting the camera out for another photo when he suddenly jumped out into the rain and knelt in front of me. I still had no clue what was going on until he produced a ring and said a few words (which unfortunately in the moment went completely over my head) and I realised he was asking me to marry him. I said “Yes!” and he happily jumped back under the umbrella and then had to repeat what he had said for me to actually take in.
Thank God I gave in and climbed that mountain or I may have missed out on a very romantic proposal!
Gracia says
I know it is coming, but I don’t know when. Eric says he wants it to be a surprise, so I guess today being 1 year living together won’t mean anything… too predictable… well, anyway, you’ll know as soon as it happens. That’s what facebook, twitter and blogs are for, right? right?
Charlotte says
Oh my gosh I LOVE Old Rag!!! What a great idea John!!!! Plus very fun post title too. All I really remember about the moment Brett proposed was being SO STUNNED I had to lay down, haha!
KatyW says
You guys are the cutest dorks around!! I love the back & forth story-telling :-) Adorable!!
My hubster didn’t have the ring yet (actually, we had decided that I would get to pick it out, SCORE! since I’m super picky :-) this totally appealed to me!). But he decided that he didn’t want to wait to propose.
He arranged a fantabulous weekend at one of my favorite spots on Planet Earth — the Outer Banks in North Carolina — over Valentine’s weekend. Super romantic!!
Since he didn’t have a ring, he had snuck my Tiffany bracelet out to have the little hanging heart engraved with “Katy Will You Marry Me” and the date, 2/14/99.
On Valentine’s Day morning, he brought me to the Cape Hatteras lighthouse, and gave me the gift to open. It was FREEZING cold!! BRRRRRRR!!!
Needless to say, I was a bit surprised to open my “Valentine’s” gift to find a bracelet I already owned. Hmmm.
But when I saw the engraved heart, I jumped for joy & shouted “yes, yes, yes”!
We got a passerby to snap our picture, and if I wasn’t a dork who doesn’t really know how to upload pics (ARGH! I’ve admitted it publicly!!), I’d upload the pic of us — happy as Cape Hatteras clams in front of the lighthouse, smiling & hugging & freezing our booty’s off.
I had no idea that he had already called my family to ask my Dad’s permission and fill them in on the plan. So, I was surprised when he suggested we stop in Richmond on the way back from the OBX to see my fam.
There they were, w/ a huge Italian dinner prepared, all ready to congratulate us & toast our happiness. My Mama was an Italian immigrant to the U.S. w/ her parents & 8 siblings, so we love to have any excuse to do up the Italian food and manga. That amazing meal was the icing on the Engagement Weekend cake.
BTW, weirdly enough….the Cape Hatteras lighthouse was moved inland to protect it from severe beach erosion and the inevitable falling into the sea. It was big production…chronicled locally as well as nationally. The moving date — July 24, 1999 — our wedding day in Harbour Island, Bahamas.
BTW #2, I had another Tiffany charm engraved to add to my bracelet. “YES!” with “Harbour Island Bahamas” & the date engraved, 7/24/99.
I love, love, love my Tiffany bracelet & love to show it off to people & brag about how creative & charming my hubster is :-)
PS — I got a beautiful engagement ring a few months later :-)
kelly says
Congratulations on your 2 year anniversary! :)
I love your engagement stories and loved reading all the others too!
R. and I got engaged on 5/12/06 after 4+ years of dating. You would think after that long I would be anxious for the proposal but I was enjoying things and not at that point. I was completely surprised by the whole thing! I planned a surprise weekend getaway for his birthday – rented an amazing cabin (The Gnome House) in the San Juan Islands, WA (we lived in Olympia, WA at the time). R had no idea where we were going until we boarded the ferry for the islands and got off at Orcas island. We spent the day exploring the island, enjoying the coast line and enjoying the fabulous Gnome House. That evening I had made plans for us to go out for a nice dinner for his birthday. I thought it was odd when R insisted on paying for his birthday dinner but didn’t think much beyond that. After dinner we went back to the Gnome House to open presents – R’s family has sent him gifts as well as mine and I brought them all with us. After opening presents I was anxious to enjoy a beer in the hot tub under the stars and moon light.
R. told me to come outside with him for a second before getting ready for the hot tub, he had something for me. I thought it was a bit odd – it was his birthday after all but he said he wanted to thank me for such a wonderful birthday. I took his hand and he led me outside to a clearing on the property where a circle of luminaries were set up – it was beautiful. I was still clueless though and I thought this was my thank you! Then he led me into the circle of luminaries and hugged me tightly and began telling me how much he loved me and then he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I was so surprised I couldn’t believe it!! I said yes and he gave me a gorgeous ring that he had designed with diamonds given to him by both sides of our family! It is so special to me. We then celebrated with champagne in the hot tub and kept our joyous news to ourselves to revel in the rest of that night before calling friends and family the next day. I t was so wonderful. Apparently he had the ring hidden in his shoe for a couple months and my family had known too.
We will celebrate 2 years of marriage in September and we couldn’t be happier.
Jen says
What a great post! Thanks for letting all of us into your life and being so willing to share. Many wishes for more great happy years together – Congrats!!
Stephanie S says
Love reading your story!!!
Michelle says
It was Valentine’s Day, which my husband Sean and I didn’t celebrate, but it was on a Saturday that year so we figured why not plan a nice dinner. There were odd little cues leading up the night that had me wondering about a proposal, and my family was convinced that he would propose that night at dinner.
Saturday came and it was the longest ever. My mom was anticipating a call with the news and when I called to chat I got her voicemail. Even though nothing had happened I thought I’d tease her and say “Now I guess you’ll have to wait to find out when everyone else does!” I hopped in the shower and she called back and left her own message “OH baby! Are you engaged?!” Unbeknownst to me Sean got the message before I did.
By the time we left for dinner I was so nervous, anxious, excited I was out of my mind. What if he DIDN’T ask, could I act not disappointed?! So I convinced Sean to tell me where we were having dinner and that I should drive. I was a mess so he said sure.
The restaurant is right on Lake Michigan, but it was February and cold so I snagges a parking spot as close to the door as I could. Sean wanted to park around the back by the lake, but I refused and parked up front. We get out of the car and he’s literally dragging me back towards the lake. He’s all look, isn’t it cool, etc. I’m all yeah, great, paused to look and turned around to walk back to the front. Next think I know he stops me and says “Well I was going to ask you to marry me, but…”. I have no idea what he said after that becuase I was so confused!
He had planned on proposing, but not necessarily that night. He wanted a ring first even though I had always said to not propose with a ring so we could pick it out together (I wanted a large band, not a solitare). Knowing that my family was expecting it, hearing my mom’s message and knowing how nervous I was he decided to propose that night.
I certainly didn’t make it easy though. Since I didn’t wait by the lake, he had to catch up to me and when he did, instead of the beautiful lake view we were stanidng outside the kitchen door in full view of the dumpster! But I said “yes” and we will be married 5 years this September.
Erin says
Sigh. Ever since having a baby, I’ve been an emotional wreck. This story had me smiling, tearing up, etc.
My hubs proposed on our one-year anniversary on a hill overlooking our college baseball field (that’s where we used to go to be alone and talk and relax). I was suspicous, but when he came walking over with a large, heavy box, I actually thought he had bought me a coffee maker for my dorm room.
What he had actually done was wrapped up a brick and a gargoyle bookend, then wrapped a sweet love letter around the brick. Once I finished reading it, I turned and found him on the one knee.
Leila says
I never got a TRUE proposal (which my husband of five years hears about at least every few months), but we also met at work and didn’t tell anyone outside of our two departments (a grand total of three other people) that we were dating.
Steve took vacation for our Thursday wedding and Friday for our weekend honeymoon. So at the Wednesday staff meeting, he just told everyone that he was going to be out of the office because he was getting married the next day! No one even knew either of us were dating, so it was pretty funny. Lots of shocked co-workers. =)
Lindsay says
How did you guys manage to quit your jobs and move to Virginia together without anyone at work knowing what you were up to?
Lindsay
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Lindsay,
Good question! Everyone at work knew John and I were good friends but for some reason no one ever thought beyond that, so when we announced that we were setting off to get jobs at one of the bigger ad agencies here in Richmond they just wished us luck and talked about how lucky we were to know someone going into the move. Of course we never mentioned we’d be shacking up when we got there… that might have tipped them off!
xo,
s
Thao says
I smiled the entire time I was reading this! You two are adorable, and congrats on the new blog–and the marriage! Can’t wait to read through your archives.
Terry says
We got engaged on top of Old Rag, too! When you mentioned the mountatin top engagement a month or so ago I thought it sounded like it might be Old Rag – cool to hear the whole story!