Weddingbee Blog

So in Part I of the Story of Us, I told you all about how Mr. Parasol finally got me to go out with him and a little bit about our relationship. Now I want to share the over-the-moon amazing proposal he surprised me with on our three-year anniversary.

By this time, we had been living in New York City for about a year and a half and were getting close to finishing up our master’s degrees. Anyway, on Friday December 17th, 2010, I came home after taking my last final of the semester and working a long shift. I was exhausted, hungry, and looking forward to a relaxing evening at home. As I approached my door, though, I spotted a note. It was from Mr. Parasol, and the note said that in honor of our three-year anniversary on December 19th, he would be showering me with surprises for the next three days. The note also contained a clue to the first surprise, but I was so tired I didn’t have a chance at figuring it out. But even though I was exhausted, that note instantly lifted my spirits, and I found myself incredibly excited (and anxious!) to experience all that Mr. Parasol had planned for us.

When I walked in the door, I saw that Mr. Parasol had prepared a beautiful dinner for us that consisted of some of my favorite foods and a delicious bottle of apple wine.

*Personal photo*

I was so overwhelmed by this amazing gesture that I started crying a little bit. (OK, maybe that was the mental and physical exhaustion.) We enjoyed the amazing dinner that Mr. Parasol had cooked and a lot of good conversation, and I thought that was it for the night. But then Mr. Parasol handed me the second clue, and this time I was able to figure it out: he was taking me to see A Little Night Music on Broadway! I was ecstatic! I quickly gussied myself up for the evening, Mr. Parasol took care of all the dishes (what a champ!), and we were off for a night at the theater. The show was absolutely amazing, and I was so happy to have finally seen Bernadette Peters in a performance. It’s been a lifelong dream of mine, and I’m so lucky that Mr. Parasol made it a reality.

*Personal photo*

The next day, I woke bright and early, in part because that had been my schedule for an entire semester, and in part because I wanted to find out the next surprise. It didn’t take long: when I opened my bedroom door, I discovered a note at the end of the hallway that said Mr. Parasol had prepared me breakfast in bed. Of course, I scurried back to bed, and Mr. Parasol soon arrived with a plate full of yummy goodness.

*Personal photo*

After we had consumed our hearty breakfast, Mr. Parasol gave me the next clue:

*Personal photo*

I know it’s small, but that drawing on Mr. Parasol’s note is a rocket ship with a Santa Claus hat. In case that doesn’t give it away, allow me to clarify: Mr. Parasol was taking me to see the Christmas Spectacular with the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall! We were fortunate enough to get free tickets to the show the previous year, and it was amazing. I always joked with Mr. Parasol that I wanted to see it again, but I didn’t think we could because tickets can be pretty expensive. But Mr. Parasol worked his magic, and I’m so thankful that he did!

Of course, we had to stop and take a picture in front of the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center.

*Personal photo*

After some window shopping on 5th Avenue, it was finally time for the show, which was just as amazing as we had remembered.

*Personal photo*

Sunday, December 19th was our official three-year anniversary, and I woke up even more excited to find out what Mr. Parasol had planned for this very special day. I certainly had my suspicions that a ring might be involved at some point; we had been talking about getting engaged for quite a while, and we had even gone ring shopping together a few months back. But, honestly, I dismissed these proposal suspicions as quickly as possible. I didn’t want to have any expectations going into that day. I wanted to enjoy it for what it was, and I didn’t want to be disappointed if Mr. Parasol didn’t propose.

But before we could get to any of the “main events,” we went to church first. In keeping with the theme of the weekend, though, Mr. Parasol still decided to make a clue for this, which is just one of the many reasons I love him so much!

*Personal photo*

After church, Mr. Parasol presented me with the next clue, which said we were going to Kitchenette, our favorite restaurant for Sunday brunch.

*Personal photo*

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As always, brunch at Kitchenette was absolutely delicious. There’s a reason it’s our favorite place to go for brunch in New York.

At the end of our meal, Mr. Parasol presented me with the next clue. This one was a little long and complicated, so I needed a little help with it. Thankfully, though, it didn’t take too much longer for me to figure out that Mr. Parasol had planned a photo scavenger hunt in Central Park!

*Personal photo*

Essentially, this particular note contained a list of places in Central Park that are meaningful to us as a couple. The plan was go to each place and take a bunch of fun pictures together. It may seem silly, but this type of thing is exactly what I love about Mr. Parasol. I feel so special when he plans romantic things for us to do together, and this particular adventure was especially amazing because it corresponded to the first truly romantic thing Mr. Parasol ever planned for me: a photo scavenger hunt around UC Berkeley campus, where we had fallen in love.

Needless to say, we had a blast running all over Central Park and taking lots of pictures. Although I’d love to share them all, I think that would be overwhelming, so here are just a few of my favorites.

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The last known picture of us as a non-engaged couple / *Personal photo*

As our scavenger hunt finally came to an end (and my camera battery sadly started to die!), Mr. Parasol took me over to one of our favorite places in Central Park. While there, he gave me one last note, which had a drawing of a book with a question mark on the cover and this quote: “It is a truth universally acknowledged…” Being a literary major and a woman, I immediately recognized this quote as the opening from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, which goes on to say, “…that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” At this moment, all my suspicious came back with a vengeance, and my heart started pounding like crazy.

But Mr. Parasol didn’t do anything just yet. Instead, he took me to a secluded spot and gave me a large present. I unwrapped it to find a volume of the collected works of Jane Austen. Mr. Parasol had written a lovely dedication in the front cover, in which he told me how much he loved me. It then ended by saying, “I have marked a page with the ribbon that sums up how I feel today. There are certain things my words cannot express.” My mind was racing, and I wondered what would be on the page I turned to: The section where Mr. Darcy proposes to Elizabeth? Where Mr. Knightley proposes to Emma? Where Mr. Ferrars proposes to Elinor? I tried to calm myself and finally turned to the page Mr. Parasol had marked, where I found a ring box sitting in the hollowed out book. When I looked up, Mr. Parasol was on one knee and, after saying a lot of very lovely things, he asked me to marry him. I cried for a moment, still in total shock, before I finally managed to say, “YES!”

Thankfully, my dying camera battery revived itself so that we could capture some of our first moments as an engaged couple on film.

Do you think we’re happy? / *Personal photo*

Squishy face! / *Personal photo*

I’m so thankful we were able to find a quiet, isolated spot in the park. / *Personal photo*

I still can’t believe I get to spend the rest of my life with this amazing man! / *Personal photo*

And there you have it! The story of how Mr. Parasol and I got engaged. I know I’m biased, but I think it’s one for the books. I love Mr. Parasol so much, and I would have said yes if he asked me to marry him while we were sitting on the couch watching TV. Even so, I’m still thrilled he gave me such an amazing story to tell!

Now it’s your turn to share! What’s your proposal story? Did your significant other pull out all the stops to surprise you with a proposal?