Weddingbee

In the middle of all of our wedding planning craziness, I realize that I haven’t yet shared the best part this whole period: My engagement story! It’s incredibly long so I’ll break it up into pieces (or rather “seasons” as Mr. Eggplant modeled the engagement adventure after what he considers the four seasons of our relationship).

I know I don’t post about it much on the Weddingbee because it’s a very personal subject to me, but my Christian faith is a huge part of Mr. Eggplant and my relationship. I wrote this story three days after we got engaged and I was overflowing with gratitude that God would bless me and trust me with Mr. Eggplant. So if you read plenty of mentions of me thanking God for this man, you’ll know why.

The engagement story (written on January 22, 2007)

Four Seasons: Prologue

Girls dream about their E-day from the minute they can utter the words “Prince Charming.” Perhaps we watch too many Disney movies as little girls. Roses, candles, glass slippers, and sky writing via airplanes all come to mind when a girl imagines her future wedding day. I always told Mr. Eggplant that I didn’t want a huge fancy diamond or anything. I just wanted our E-day to be meaningful, and a story that we could keep for the rest of our lives.

Well, he certainly delivered!

On Thursday night before I left the office, my manager told me that she needed me to be in the office early on Friday to tie up some loose ends for a project. Being the obedient employee that I am, I agreed and arrived at the office bright and early on Friday morning. When I reached my cube, sitting on my desk was a small white mailbox with its flag neatly standing upright.

My boss must have left a treat for me, I thought. She’s the kind of person that leaves flowers and gifts on our desks to show her appreciation for our efforts. I opened the mailbox and inside was an envelope sealed with a gold sticker, a map with directions and an agenda, and a gift certificate to the Claremont Resort & Spa– one of the best pampering facilities in the bay area. 

And that was how my day began.

Mailbox #1 - A map, directions, and a gift certificate to Claremont

Season 1: Transformation

Mr. Eggplant and I talked about getting engaged quite a few times before he proposed. We joked about it often and wedding plans were a regular topic of conversation. I knew that E-day was around the corner, but when I actually received that first white mailbox, it felt surreal– like I was playing the lead female role in a movie or something.

Anyway, back to the story…I removed the white envelope from the mailbox and unsealed it. Inside was a letter from Mr Eggplant:

Hi Beautiful. By now you’ve already figured it out and you’re probably telling yourself, “I knew it!” Well, you probably did. Honey always knows these things. And, with the little mystery I still have left, I’ll try to make this day extra-special. Now, some explanation. First, this initial mailbox represents Transformation– the word that brought our souls together. We’ve come a long way in our relationship and it all began with our love for God and what He’s done in our lives….

Second, why “seasons”? …I think we have a similar perspective on life– God works in seasons. Transformation does not happen overnight..there are markers, seasons, that encapsulate the essence of each life-stage. Also, in our language of analogies, you are the luxurious Four Seasons while I am an economical Holiday Inn.

Third, mailboxes… As you might have guessed, this idea came from a movie we watched this year, “The Lake House.” The selection of romantic comedies we’ve watched over the past 18 months is a bit limited, so instead of hand-crafting a canoe or buying you a dog [a reference from “Must Love Dogs”– the first romantic comedy we watched together], I thought, “Hey, these mailboxes are cute and they’re only a buck!” Yep, I got them at Target, just in case you’re wondering. =)

There was more in the letter, but it’s pretty mushy and sweet and it might make you gag a little, so I’ll leave it out of the story. Mr. Eggplant basically explained that I was to take the gift certificate and directions and drive to the Claremont for a full day of pampering (or as he called it, “Extreme Makeover: Engagement Edition”). My coworker (who was in on the whole thing– Mr. Eggplant had planted the box in her hands earlier in the week) gave me a hug and shooed me off; I hopped into my car to embark on the greatest adventure of my life.

To be continued…

• Weekly Roundup
• Insert Big-Sigh-Of-Relief...