Will You Marry Me?

According to the general reaction when we broke the news of our engagement, you all knew that the question was coming.

I, on the other hand, did not.

Ryan got down on one knee on December 2, 2010 and I was completely stunned... and thrilled! It was definitely one of the best moments of my life and I'll never forget it.

So how did he do it?

Well, we were in the midst of an absolutely amazing vacation in the beautiful Mayan Riviera, Mexico. Sunset was approaching and we'd decided to go take photos on the beach. Off we went, toting our cameras and a tripod in search of great photos.

We posed for a few cutesy couple photos, as per usual. Ryan was acting a bit funny, but I thought nothing of it... that's just Ryan. As an avid photographer, he decided that we should try light painting. Basically, you use a light to draw in the air and a long exposure on the camera. It's just what it sounds like... painting with light.

We took a few photos like this one:

Pretty cool, hey?

I stood and waited as we took another photo. This time Ryan was writing something, but I couldn't quite make out what it was supposed to say. We ran to the camera once he was finished and I was still pretty confused. Sure, looking at it now it makes perfect sense, but at the time I responded "Oh, that's pretty..." as he kissed me.

Proposal fail. My bad?

We went back to our spot for another photo. I waited for him to write something or pull me in for a kiss, but instead he got down on one knee in front of me and asked "Will you marry me?"

I stood in shock, staring at him.

"Really?!" I asked. Only a few days earlier he'd joked about buying a fake engagement ring as a cruel joke to play on our family. I'd refused, but as he sat there waiting for my response I had to ask "Is it from Walmart?". I'm always the champion of ruining romantic moments.

He pulled out an absolutely amazing Tacori diamond ring... most definitely not from Walmart... and slipped it on my finger as I finally answered yes. OF COURSE I'd marry him. Still in disbelief, we hugged and kissed and got terribly bitten by mosquitoes in our blissfully newly engaged state. When we went back to the camera I was so happy to see that he had a photo of the exact moment! How perfect is he??

The beach at sunset... it was my dream engagement and I couldn't be happier. We headed off for dinner that we'd booked earlier in the week.... Lobster dinner by candlelight on a hut over the water! It was incredibly romantic, and as our main course was delivered fireworks went off down the beach. They weren't intended for us, but we sure felt like they were.

It was perfect, and I wouldn't change a thing if I could.

We haven't planned anything... no wedding dates, locations, or anything of the sort, but I created this blog to gush about how excited I am, and keep everyone informed as we gradually make plans.

On that note, I'll leave you all with a photo of my absolutely amazing ring!