The proposal
The story of our proposal is a series of near misses with a happy ending. As I learned after the fact, Brad bought the ring in October, three months before he proposed. He first wanted to propose at Thanksgiving dinner because his family was planning to come from out of state to visit us, and Thanksgiving is very special holiday to us. But circumstances arose that caused a change in his family's plans, so he scrapped that idea.
Next he planned to take me back to the Denver Botanic Gardens to see the holiday lights and then to dinner at the Black Pearl for the proposal, since that's where we went on our first date the year before. But silly me bought a Groupon to the other holiday light show at the other botanic gardens, so that idea was blown. Oh, and we never used the Groupon.
Brad's Plan C was to propose on our Christmas vacation, which was a catamaran charter through the Grenadine islands. We spent Christmas Day on Mustique, and he said he almost did it then, but had left the ring aboard the sailboat. Well, a few days into that trip it was clear that neither one of us wanted the memory of the crazy captain and his equally nutso wife as part of our engagement story (it was just the four of us on the boat). In fact, when we got back to Barbados to overnight before flying home I jokingly thanked him for not proposing to me on that stinky boat. (Captain and wife were both chain smokers -- bleh!) I had no idea he'd even bought a ring, let alone that he had it with him. It really was just a joke.
After we got back from vacation everyone was waiting for "news" from us. Unbeknownst to me, many of our friends knew about the ring and were impatiently waiting for Brad to finally propose. That first weekend back, Brad told me he'd made reservations for us at the Black Pearl for Saturday night. I thought it was a little odd because we usually conferred about what to do on the weekends, but I love the Black Pearl so was looking forward to going there. And of course I had a Groupon! (groan)
The Black Pearl
We get to the Black Pearl a few minutes before our reservation, and the host tells us the couple at the window table (our "first date" table) were just finishing up and we could either wait a few minutes for that table or we could be seated right away at the next table in from the window. I was ignorant of Brad's plans and that he'd specifically requested that table, and was starving from running more than 16 miles that day, so said we'd take the table we could have right away. (strike 1)
We're seated, have a lovely meal, and at the end I pull out my Groupon and give it to Brad. (strike 2 -- who wants to be the guy who uses a Groupon for his proposal dinner???)
So now we leave the restaurant and are headed up the sidewalk back to the car. Brad grabs me and starts pulling me back toward the front of the restaurant, and I ask him "what are you doing? why are you being so weird?" (ugh) He starts into the proposal and I finally get what's going on and shriek "yes" before he even asks the question. (I'm smooth, no?) He laughs at me and thankfully finishes anyway, getting down on one knee and pulling an amazingly beautiful ring from his pocket. We hug, we kiss, and the couple now sitting at "our" window table knock on the glass and give us a big thumbs-up.
Twenty-four hours later our wedding was 75% planned. I hope he knew what he was getting into!
We're seated, have a lovely meal, and at the end I pull out my Groupon and give it to Brad. (strike 2 -- who wants to be the guy who uses a Groupon for his proposal dinner???)
So now we leave the restaurant and are headed up the sidewalk back to the car. Brad grabs me and starts pulling me back toward the front of the restaurant, and I ask him "what are you doing? why are you being so weird?" (ugh) He starts into the proposal and I finally get what's going on and shriek "yes" before he even asks the question. (I'm smooth, no?) He laughs at me and thankfully finishes anyway, getting down on one knee and pulling an amazingly beautiful ring from his pocket. We hug, we kiss, and the couple now sitting at "our" window table knock on the glass and give us a big thumbs-up.
Twenty-four hours later our wedding was 75% planned. I hope he knew what he was getting into!
The Ring
I have found it nearly impossible to take a decent picture of my engagement ring. Brad chose a Louis Glick starburst cut center stone in a Katharine James setting from her "Juliet's Love" collection, very similar to the designer's photo at left. Since my center stone is sqaure, the prongs are different, but there are pave diamonds everywhere -- up the prongs, around the top of the setting, around the band. The ring is simply magnificent.
For my wedding band, Brad actually bought two of the matching diamond eternity bands by Katharine James. It was supposed to be a surprise, but I couldn't help but notice there were two bands sitting there when we went to the jeweler to have all our rings appraised for insurance purposes. :( Brad said the set looked lopsided with only one band. Gotta love a man who's into details like that!
For my wedding band, Brad actually bought two of the matching diamond eternity bands by Katharine James. It was supposed to be a surprise, but I couldn't help but notice there were two bands sitting there when we went to the jeweler to have all our rings appraised for insurance purposes. :( Brad said the set looked lopsided with only one band. Gotta love a man who's into details like that!
