My engagement story....by Traci Montemurro

In November of 1996, I had been dating my boyfriend for 1 year. Everything was going great and the past year had been so much fun. We never talked about getting married, but pretty much just focused on each weekend and what kind of fun exciting plans we would make. This was a totally different experience for me, since getting that engagement ring was all I could think about when I dated my last serious boyfriend!

So, on this unusually warm November day, we planned to take a half day from work and head down to Philadelphia for the afternoon. We would then go to a concert at night to see one of our favorite bands. My boyfriend picked me up and had beautiful flowers for me. We then proceeded to have a fun afternoon eating and walking around Philadelphia.

Later that night at the concert, only about 2 songs into the show, my boyfriend shouted at me (it was a loud concert!), "I want you to marry me!". I didn't even say anything at first, because I didn't even hear him. So he shouted again, "I want you to marry me". I heard him this time, and I assumed he meant "someday". So, I didn't even say anything back! But, then he kept staring at me with his handsome blue eyes, and I said, "You mean now?!". And he said "YES!". After what he said seemed to take forever, I said "YES" and we gave each other a huge hug and kiss! People sitting next to us cheered!

The rest of the night I was shaking and ecstatic! But, he didn't have a ring, since we never talked about getting married, and he wasn't 100% sure what I would say! He didn't want me to tell ANYONE, not even my mother, because he felt embarrassed that I didn't have a ring yet. He wanted to pick out the diamond for me, and I still can't believe that I went along with this, and that I had no input in the selection of the ring. He didn't even know what I liked!! Or, so I thought. About 1 month later, he snuck up behind me one night and slid the ring on my finger. It was the most beautiful ring I had ever seen! It was just as I always imagined! I loved that he knew exactly the perfect diamond to buy, and I didn't have to say a word. I knew he was, in fact, the one for me. I was then able to share our wonderful news with the world!

Thinking back, maybe Dave didn't get down on 1 knee, didn't really "ask" my permission (since he said "I want"!), didn't sweep me away to a glamorous, romantic location, and didn't even take me ring shopping!....but he knew me better than I knew myself! This May we'll celebrate our 9 year wedding anniversary! After all of these years (and 2 kids later!), I still love him and our engagement story, maybe even more than ever. It's perfectly romantic for us.

:-*

Traci Montemurro

For years Nate and I had discussed the idea of getting married but while I considered specifics, he worked on the very basic and generic fears related to such a lifetime commitment. It seemed that we would never been on the same page and I cycled between hopeful and hopeless. There were times I really considered giving up and moving on with my life but after moving cross country to be with him and becoming so invested in our new life together, it was troubling to think that I wouldn’t get my happy ending.
Regardless of what strangers thought, or how flimsy some of Nate’s excuses seemed, deep down I felt that I really knew him and that he really was the one for me. I knew I just needed to be patient.

During a solo trip back home to NY to visit my family, I came across the most beautiful mansion on our wine tasting trail. It was said to have the best view in the Finger Lakes and this was no lie. As I stood atop the rolling lawn, staring in awe at the miles of lake and wooded valley laid out before me, I could picture myself exchanging marriage vows in that very magical place. I had no doubt that Nate would be just as enamored with the location and that it would fit perfectly with the cozy autumn in NY wedding we had always discussed. I couldn’t wait to share it with him and hoped that perhaps someday he would be ready to marry me on that very spot.

When it came time to craft our Valentine’s Day plans that year, we had a difficult time deciding on a romantic and unique vacation that we would both enjoy. After receiving a newsletter from my new favorite Finger Lakes venue advertising a 4 course Valentine’s dinner, free champagne and chocolate covered strawberries, and a 2 night stay in the mansion, I was sold. The idea of spending such a romantic occasion cuddled up indoors under warm blankets, near a roaring fire, in an authentic and historic home; seemed like a fitting homage to our first chilly Valentine’s Day together and it was a great opportunity for Nate to see what I hoped would be our future wedding location.

The weeks prior to our vacation were both busy and exciting. The more I
daydreamed about the unbeatable views and delicious wines, the longer it seemed to take for Valentine’s Day to arrive. Even Nate seemed to warm to the idea of a few days of quiet solitude in the wine country and the opportunity to celebrate both Valentine’s Day and our 5.5 year dating anniversary, quite near the place where it all started. Finally it was time to board the plane and the journey northward to our final destination began.

Pulling up to the mansion again gave me the same warm and welcoming feelings I experienced the first time. While outwardly regal and luxurious, perched above the gloriously shimmering water, the mansion was simultaneously cozy and hospitable and I could tell right away that Nate was impressed. Check – in was quick and courteous and within moments we were trudging up the spiral staircase towards our awaiting accommodations.

The room was magnificent with plush carpets and a four poster king sized bed. Hurriedly we crept to the scantily clad windows and pealed aside the sheer curtains to find a breathtaking view of the grounds and the constantly moving water that comprises Keuka Lake. The golden afternoon sun slanted gently in and we decided to start our vacation with a quick nap in the luxurious bed before dressing for our gourmet meal.

To say dinner was scrumptious would be a huge understatement. The presentation was almost as delightful as the tastes and we ate foods the likes of which we had only previously seen on TV. Everything was savory and sweet and smooth and silky and I could not eat enough. As each course progressed I noticed Nate picking more and more at the amazing food on his plate and I wondered if perhaps he was less than enthralled with the exotic entrees we were being presented. Instead, he said he was leaving room for dessert, an understandable approach as we are both undeniable chocolate lovers.

At one point, our waitress chided him a bit about his lack of appetite and we developed a good rapport with her from that point on. During the meal we revealed the fact that I had previously visited the mansion and that I had dragged Nate along to see it as I believed it would be a wonderful place to be married. She wholeheartedly agreed and even volunteered to sneak us back to the ballroom for a peek after the meal was over. I was sincerely impressed with her friendliness and generous offer.

True to her word, after we were all finished dining, she came back over to our table and asked if we were ready for our private tour. Although I was feeling extremely full and lazy by this point, I couldn’t resist the opportunity for another visit to the reception area, this time with my beloved in tow. We eagerly followed her lead through the bar and across the sitting room towards the ballroom.

As we neared the entrance to the room, I could hear music playing and I was afraid we would be interrupting a party of some sort. I voiced my concerns but our newly established tour guide assured me we could sneak a quick look without upsetting anyone. She asked us to wait in the foyer for a moment so she could go ahead and make sure our presence wouldn’t be an issue and within a few seconds we saw her motioning to us from inside the ballroom.

Quietly we stepped inside as the DJ began playing the song I’ve been dreaming of walking down the aisle to; Ben Folds Five’s “The Luckiest”. In the short span of a heartbeat, Nate grabbed my hand and led me directly towards the dance floor. At first I couldn’t believe he was being so bold as to interject us into the celebration that someone else was hosting but as we moved I began to recognize the faces swirling around us. I couldn’t quite understand why a number of our family friends were all gathered at the same place but I was even more shocked when we arrived at the front of the room to find both of our families there as well. As soon as we stepped on to the parquet dance floor I blankly watched as the DJ handed Nate of all people, a microphone. My usually shy and quiet boyfriend then dropped down to one knee in front of everyone and began saying the sweetest of things.
To this day I can’t recall exactly what he said as I was in complete and utter disbelief at that moment but I remember feeling as though my heart was going to burst forth from my chest taking the entire army of butterflies fluttering around in my stomach with it. I was shaking and blushing and smiling uncontrollably but I did manage to get out a “yes” and a dumbfounded headshake when he asked me to marry him. The entire crowd burst into applause as he slipped the ring on my finger and began twirling me around the dance floor while “our” song played.

We spent the rest of the evening celebrating with all of those we hold nearest and dearest to us. Eventually I overcame the shock and realized that Nate had just pulled off the most spectacular of surprise proposals the likes of which far exceeded anything I had expected. We’re currently in the process of planning our autumn wedding at the same place and there is no doubt that this past history will make the event even more beautiful. He did an amazing job and he continues to make me feel like the luckiest girl in the world.

After all my years of waiting, I can’t help but to believe that my waiting has finally paid off.

During this past holiday break, we travelled to five different cities in China to visit my family. One day in Shanghai, we spent the afternoon browsing the recently developed art district along Suzhou Creek and then went to the XinTianDi district to continue shopping and find a place for dinner. After a delicious Shanghainese meal, we strolled down a cobble-stone street watching people pass by and taking in the romantic evening as we walked beside small restaurants, boutiques shops, and tea houses. We stopped for Dan to take something out of his shoulder bag. He told me he was getting me some medicine because I've been sick, but instead he pulled out a blue box and got down on one knee to propose. I was in such a state of shock I couldn't hear what he said nor did I notice myself talking. We've been dating for almost six years and I wasn't sure when this day would ever come.
When Dan opened the blue box, tears just started pouring down my face.
In the blue box was the most beautiful and precious ring I've ever seen and about to wear. I had actually tried this ring on few months earlier when we were strolling down the streets of San Francisco. Once I finally got over the shock, Dan told me I had already said "Yes"
three times.

We were so happy and just stood there in the middle of the alley to soak in the moment when church bells started ringing. This part was fitting to the occasion. We then walked into a lounge bar where a Chinese singer was belting out the song "Venus" by Bananarama, which is now officially our song ;)

This has so far been one of the happiest day of my life. I've waited for this moment for a very long time, and the proposal was the most romantic and biggest surprise Dan has ever given to me. It made me so happy.

Yansu Ouyang

My husband and I met in Biloxi, Mississippi. I traveled there in October of
2005 to do some Hurricane relief work. The group I was traveling with stayed at a local church and I met my husband the first night we arrived.
He spent some of his childhood in Biloxi and had returned there to check on some family and friends who still lived there. Needless to say their homes were unlivable so he was staying at the church helping the volunteers. He and I became inseperable- spending 10-12 hours a day bringing food, tents, Doctors, nurses, medicine, blankets, camp stoves and many other things to the people of Biloxi. We were blown together by a disaster that negatively affected so many people's lives, but for us it was a blessing. The fourth night we were together he told me loved me. 12 days later he asked me to marry him and really, we both knew that we were to be together for the rest of our lives, we just knew it in our hearts, even though we may not have understood it in our heads. Then we were seperated because I had to return home. We were apart from one another for 6 months and planned our Wedding on April 17, 2006. We purchased a beautiful engagement ring and wedding band online from Abazias and once I received it he called and had me put it on and asked me again over the phone if I would marry him. I of course said yes.
Katrina blew us together, and nothing, not even another hurricane will break us apart.
Julie Ann Bynog

It was early June. I proposed under the dogwood trees in full bloom.

Whiter than paper, whiter than snow, whiter than the moon in its fullness, whiter than the clouds passing over -- I close my eyes and I can still see the dogwood trees.

Whiter than a blank page in a book, whiter than possibilty, whiter than hope, whiter than silence in winter -- The branches were heavy with ten thousand blurred white petals.

Whiter than a hospital room's emptiness, whiter than life, whiter than death, whiter than our first or last breath -- If I could count them all, all the petals, I would know what God knows. I would know why love dies.

Whiter than the snow on a mountain peak, whiter than winter breath, whiter than high winds in a white sky, whiter than foam on a breaking wave -- For hours we stood there, holding hands, in silent ceremony, praising creation, loving all the white things of the world, watching them before they blew away.

John Sakowicz