Weddingbee Blog

In the first part, I explained how me met. This story is how, six years later, we became affianced.

Although our anniversary is on New Years Eve, we always consider it a pretty lame holiday. Yaknowimean, right? The pressure to find something LEGENDARY to do before the clock strikes twelve? We usually spend it with friends, maybe in a rental house in the Cape, rather than in a noisy bar. So when NYE 09 came rollin’ around, I was groan-y as usual, like, “What are we gonna doooo?? Is it gonna be lame??” Luckily, an Evite landed in my inbox: our friend would host a small gathering at his aunt’s vacated summer house in Newport, Rhode Island.

Text says, Gonna try and have a little fun in Rhody this New Year’s Eve. I know there are several other festivities going on that night. But if you aren’t already booked, a night in Newport and some champagne in Chateau de F– is in order.

There were even several responses from people I didn’t know.

So Potato Head & I departed for RI in the late afternoon on NYE. He was stressed out (from work, I’d guessed) and I was in a bad mood. It was snowing and five degrees below negative fifteen. The traffic was bad. I was huuuungry. I kept texting SistahChips, “Are you guys there yet?” and our host, “You got snacks??” and they’d reply in the affirmative. Potato Head had to stop at a Dunkin Donuts for two donuts and a flatbread sandwich to shut me up.

I dozed, and when I woke up we were pulling into a parking spot. The snow obscured my vision, and I wasn’t wearing my glasses, so I marveled at the quaint Victorian we were in front of, wondering, “Wow! This is our friend’s aunt’s summer house?? Why have we not been here before?? And who are those other, older people coming and going from the house?” It wasn’t until we stepped into the foyer that I realized the following: we were in a bed and breakfast; I had been fooled by nearly all my friends (and some strangers); Mr. Potato Head had arranged two nights for us here; and I was the most gullible person in the world.

“Happy anniversary!” he said.

While my mind boggled, we checked into our little room. Bubble baths and television are two of my very favorite things, so I was over the moon when I saw our room had a jacuzzi tub facing a television. That is the dream!!

Still hungry, we ordered up deluxe gourmet anniversary food:

I suggested going to a bar, but Potato Head wanted to stay in. Besides, it was terribly cold out. We put on the telly and watched the Jo Bros and Ryan Seacrest and soon we were counting down. I couldn’t help but smile at how happy I was, cozy and warm in this lovely bed and breakfast, my belly full of pizza.

Two seconds to midnight, and Potato Head produced a small, wrapped jewelry box. I couldn’t even speak. There were no speeches, no kneeling, no fanfare. Just a simple question and an ecstatic answer. Well-played, Potato Head! Well-played.

We spent the next couple days reveling in our newly engaged bliss, calling friends and family (everyone knew his plans, and I found that he had sought ring approval from both SistahChips and my best friend), wandering icy Newport, touring mansions and vineyards, ducking into pubs for afternoon pints, and buying wedding magazines (you can bet I read those bad boys from the jacuzzi tub, with the telly on!).

After six years, I couldn’t believe we were finally on the road to the altar, and that we would need to plan an actual wedding!

Do you see the fear and trepidation in my eyes when faced with the glossies?

If your engagement was a surprise, were there a number of people involved in ensuring it stayed a surprise?