Our Engagement Story – Carina Studios

Engagement stories are my favorite.  I always love asking couples how it happened for them.  December 23rd marks a year since Matt and I got engaged so I spent some time over the holidays reminiscing about it all.  It was such an amazing night and I want to hold on to these memories forever, so I’d love to share them with you.

 

Most of you know that I’m from a small city in the Northern US that often gets an obscene amount of snow.  I grew up with it; I’m not really a fan of snow.  But we love our families and so we try to make every effort to see them all as much as possible, even if it means enduring the snow and cold.

I’m going to be honest.  It’s a 600 mile drive into the cold and away from my babies (cats) and I’m not great at it.  I’m kind of really bad at it.  I possibly sometimes have a few moments of weakness where I consider “skipping Christmas” and going on a cruise like the Kranks.  These are never my proudest moments, but I’m only human and last year I wanted to stay home.

“I don’t want to go…”  I say.

Poor Matt.

“I’m not going this year!  I’m just going to stay home.  You go”  I wail as I hold back tears at the thought of being away from my babies for several days. My friend Brandy, wasn’t going to be in town for Christmas and I was sad I wasn’t going to get to see her.  But Matt had other plans, and I had no idea.   Matt talks me off the ledge and endures my grumpiness over missing the warm weather and my cats.

We pack the car and start the drive up north.  On the way up I text my friend Kelly to make plans to get together.  She suggests one of our favorite places, Tap House, and I remember that they just built a new one by my parents house.  I suggest we meet at the new one at 9 pm.  She says she’d rather go to the original Tap House instead.  I’m a little disappointed and tell Matt that we’ll be meeting Kelly and her husband, Chad, at the original Tap House at 9 and not the new Harbor House because she doesn’t want to go there, I had no idea why.

And if I’m being honest again, Erie makes me sick.  Specifically, every Christmas, I get a cold.  It must be the chilly weather!  When we go out to our annual dinner at Chopstix, I start to feel a sickness coming on.  My head ACHES.  My nose feels stuffy.  I just want to lay down.  My mom and sister and I stop at the bathroom before we leave and Matt tells my dad his intentions.  I had no idea.

 

 

I tell Matt I want to go back to the hotel and take a nap before we meet Kelly.  “Chad doesn’t get off work until 10pm anyways, let’s just meet her at 10,” I say.  I text Kelly and ask her if she happens to have any cold medicine she can bring.  She says no, which I thought was weird for her not to have anything at all.  I had no idea she had already left the house and was waiting for me.  Matt is being incredibly patient with every wrench I throw into his plans.  We get back to the hotel.  I lie down.  Matt says, “Let’s go now, I’m ready to go.”

“Maybe I can convince Kelly to meet us at the King’s Rook Club instead!”  I offer.

“I really want to get a beer at Tap House.”  Matt says.

I reluctantly get up and throw on several outfits trying to pick what to wear.  Matt says the usual “you always look pretty; wear whatever you want.”  HELLO!!!!   A little help here!!!  This was going to be a huge night for us and I didn’t even get a heads up to pick a nice outfit.

We FINALLY make it to the Tap House despite my every effort to avoid it.  And the truth is, I LOVE the Tap House.  The food is great.  They have awesome decor and a great selection of beer. I’d been there plenty of times with friends throughout the years.  Tap House has great memories for me.  Tap House was where Matt and I had our first date June 16th, 2013.  And we had our first kiss on the corner in front of the Tap House that same night.

And this night, December 23rd, 2016 Matt proposed.  He stopped on the corner and asked me if I dropped something.  I looked down and all around and saw him on one knee asking me to marry him.  And everything else disappeared.  There was no one on the street and world felt calm and quiet.  It couldn’t have been more perfect to have that moment with each other.

We go inside and I see the most amazing sight: my lovely friends waiting for us at the table.  I cried.  Brandy had been waiting there since 5pm I’m sure, because she is wonderful and early for everything, and she of course had cold medicine tucked in her purse.  All was well, despite the cold(s).  It was such a beautiful night.

 

I hope you enjoyed our story!  Let me know what you want to hear next!!  I have a few things planned for the upcoming year but would love to hear from everyone.

Matt and I are so excited to celebrate our wedding in July.  It’s going to be a kick-ass year.

 

xoxo

C