Our engagement made be feel like a princess.
HOW WE MET
It was July 23, 2014 when I met Alex on the first day of my new job. After only a few months of dating, I realized that Alex made me feel like I had magically found the missing piece to a puzzle I had been trying to solve for 25 years. In my mind, I could recount every single time someone told me “don’t settle, you will find your prince” and I wish I could tell every single one of them they were right. It’s ironic, but on our first date, I told him I wasn’t looking for a boyfriend and was intent on establishing my career before settling down. If you know Alex, you know that nothing will stop him from going after what he wants. Undeterred, Alex came into my life, swept me off my feet, and we haven’t looked back since.
THE PROPOSAL
Before we started dating, my family had planned a two week Mediterranean cruise in June – nearly an entire year in advance. Alex’s family was planning a three week trip to Germany for his dad’s 60th birthday in July. We were dreading those five weeks apart as if it were the first day of school. We thought up all the ways it wouldn’t cost a fortune to add Alex to my cruise last minute and when that didn’t work out we prepared ourselves for lots of “I miss you’s.” At least that’s what Alex had me thinking because he had his own plan up his sleeve the entire time. He slowly started pitching the idea of our families extending the duration of each trip in order for us all to join together towards the end of our vacation. The plan was to spend a few days in Germany after my cruise ended in Venice (I obviously didn’t need that much convincing.) What I didn’t know was that he was planning to propose to me in Germany with both of our families present! It was no easy feat but six months later I arrived in Munich and his plan was unfolding right before my eyes.
They say that love is blind, and in this case I have to agree. It was our first day in Germany and somehow a day filled with visiting beautiful castles and having endless photos taken of us wasn’t enough to give away that something special was going to happen. I was just so happy that we were finally together after having spent what felt like an eternity apart that nothing else mattered. Needless to say, Alex is a “cool-cat” (his words, not mine), and throughout the day he was as relaxed as a Sunday morning drive.
Our day had been perfectly arranged by Mike’s Bike Tours to visit Ettal Abbey, Linderhof Palace, and Neuschwantein Castle. Our guide, Siggy, was fun and knowledgeable making us laugh yet teaching us so much. He had his camera in tow and mentioned that he needed some photos for the company’s Facebook page. He asked if we could pose for photos and spent the day snapping away. I had planned on asking him to send me all the photos he was taking but little did I know that what he was actually doing was capturing the memories of our engagement day. After visiting the first castle of the day, Linderhof Palace, we were on our way to the main event, the famous Neuschwanstein Castle. As we drove around the most beautiful lake with stunning mountains in the background, Alex was sound asleep. If I had had any sort of inclination that a proposal was in the works, this would be the time that those thoughts would have been crushed like grapes during harvest.
Engaged at Neuschwanstein Castle
Once we arrived at Neuschwanstein Castle, we hopped on bikes and rode down to an open field. Looking back, it’s surreal how perfect that moment was. It was a cool day, but the sun was shining bright, just enough to comfortably warm your skin. We were in a tall grassy field filled with wild flowers and dandelions that swayed with every gust of wind. It was so quiet you could hear the silence. And nestled perfectly in the mountains was the castle we all came to see. Our families anxiously awaited the big moment and after they took what felt like a thousand photos of us, Alex asked me to go for a walk. This was it.
I suddenly got a heavy feeling that dropped into my stomach as we walked into the field and I nervously chatted about how I couldn’t believe the Cinderella castle was inspired there. After patiently waiting for the perfect moment, Alex got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. It amazes me how many times I’ve said yes to this man in my heart only to be completely speechless in the moment. I was SO happy beyond words and it felt as if the whole world had stopped, just for me. I couldn’t hear anything but his voice and I couldn’t see anything but his smile. I was overwhelmed in this moment of sheer love and happiness. I was so excited that I pulled him up and held him tight before he even had a chance to put the ring on my finger. We hugged for an eternity. Aside from him asking me to marry him, everything was secondary…
In my mind, I can replay everything we said to each other that day and I know we will both remember it forever. I know that Alex planned and put so much detail into making this day as perfect and as special as can be for us. From convincing my family to travel halfway across the world, to making sure we had beautiful photos of the moment I said “yes” forever. I am so blessed to have found such an amazing man that will be by my side through anything life brings our way and I’m so excited for our future. It was definitely one of the most beautiful moments in my life and I’m so thankful that God brought us together.
After spending a few more days in Germany, we returned home and Alex told me all about how he planned our amazing engagement. Alex is the kind of guy who won’t accept anything but the best. He researched the perfect proposal spot in Germany for countless hours and he also took it upon himself to learn as much as he could about diamonds before purchasing my engagement ring. He wanted to make sure that my ring would be “forever” and not one that I would want to change throughout the years. After searching high and low, he finally found “the one”. He ultimately selected a gorgeous platinum solitaire from Brian Gavin Diamonds. I know that all the work he put into selecting the perfect diamond and setting was his way of expressing his love and commitment to me for the rest of our lives. Every time I look down at my hand, I will forever be reminded of it. Learning about all he did unbeknownst to me for months, makes everything all the more special.
If there is one thing I wish for everyone to experience, it would be to feel the kind of love that Alex and I have for each other. The kind of love that transcends anything you could ever imagine. The kind of love that redefines “home” from being a place to being a person. The kind of love that’s so strong – no matter how hard you try, you can’t put into words.
Blogger, social media consultant, optimist. Inspiring others to live the leisureist lifestyle trifecta: food, wine, and quality time.
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