Right now my heart is so full with wedding planning, reconnecting with family over the holidays, and finally unpacking my moving boxes in the home that my fiancé Mark and I now share. Our (almost) year long engagement has flown by and to celebrate I am starting a wedding series to caputre our engagement journey, share some wedding planning tips, and discuss all things bridal. And the best way to start this wedding series is from the beginning, with how he asked.
I was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, where my family still lives. Being only a short flight away, I travel back and forth from Arizona often, and more recently with an additional travel companion, my boyfriend Mark. Mark got to spend a lot of quality time with my family, attending graduations, thanksgivings, and family vacations. For a family of all girls (with the exception of my Dad), I was shocked at how well everyone got along and how seamlessly he fit in. My sisters instantly took Mark in as an older brother figure. It felt just like it was supposed to.
So, when it came to asking me to marry him, he enlisted the help of my two younger sisters to pull off the question of a lifetime.
Mark travels a lot for work, and lucky for me, I sometimes get to tag along. Pitched to me as just another work trip, Mark and I flew to San Francisco where we I would hang out with my family for the day while Mark worked from the City. My sisters (and co-conspirators) took me around Marin for the day, casually grabbing lunch with my Mom, and taking a walk under the Golden Gate Bridge around Vista Point and Presidio Yacht Club.
We eventually ended up at a small little lookout point where my sisters suggested we pose and take pictures of the view. As we posed, I felt my sister's hand fall away and another lightly touch on my side. It was Mark! And he had a ring! As he slowly got down on one knee, I realized what was happening and was so excited.
After the proposal, my family, Mark, and I all went to dinner in the City, at a gorgeous restaurant overlooking the San Francisco Bay. During dinner, it was so funny to hear all of the proposal details - from the fake work trip to choosing the exact proposal location. There was so much that went into this proposal!
After the dinner, Mark and I then stayed the night in San Francisco at our favorite hotel - The Palace. We were welcomed to our suite with a bottle of champagne and chocolate covered strawberries, the perfect finish to the most exciting day of our lives.
After all of the engagement excitement and Mark's months of planning, the next big hurdle begins - planning the wedding! during our 11 month engagement I learned so many tips and tricks, and as the wedding gets closer i'll be sharing more about it here. Stay tuned!
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