Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Woo Hoo -- We're Engaged!

Yep, the fabulous Simon asked me to marry him on Valentine's Day! (Click here for fantabulous pictures of both of us.)

He picked me up for dinner at 5 p.m., looking very suave in a black suit and tie. I felt like James Bond was coming to my door! Well, except for the fact that Simon was carrying a giant red and pink balloon bouquet with hearts and chipmunks -- I don't think James Bond would do that unless he was hiding a gun. This is one of the many reasons why I'm engaged to Simon and not to James Bond.

The Dinner

We went to dinner at the Columbus Fish Market at Marcus Crosswoods. Apparently, Simon was going to propose at dinner, but the atmosphere wasn't quite right. We were by the room where all the waiters place their order and a bunch of other couples.

I thought he seemed extra fidgety -- he kept patting his pockets (I assumed he was checking for his wallet or iphone) and going to the bathroom -- but had no clue that he had this grand plan lurking behind the calm demeanor.

After Dinner

We finished dinner early and were trying to figure out what to do next. I suggested we go down to the Franklin Park Conservatory. They were having a wine and chocolate tasting. You could walk around and see all the plants and sip wine. We went last year and it was very fun! That's what we decided to do.

We went to the first wine station and then he suggested we walk up to a little balcony area overlooking the Palm House. Apparently he was going to propose there, but all these other people came up there too -- snapping photos, talking really loudly. We decided to walk around some more.

We were in a secluded hallway when he asked me to sit with him on the bench for a second. He started off with "I have one more present to give you." Then he said a bunch of other stuff that I will remember for always (but will not be writing down here because it's just for us) and pulled an absolutely gorgeous ring out of his pocket. (No wonder he was patting his pockets!) Of course I said yes! Being the sap I am, I teared up -- and I had put two coats of mascara on so I probably looked a little scary.

What's funny is that in January, he asked me how to find out HIS ring size. I had a ring sizer at home from my failed Lia Sophia business so I sized him up. During that conversation, I mentioned my ring size too -- I forget what he said that prompted it. That's how he knew what size to get!

Let's Celebrate -- And Start Planning!

So now Simon is officially my fiance, which is way more fun to say than boyfriend. I've also turned into one of those ladies who can't stop staring at my ring. I'll type on my computer at work and then get sidetracked.

Sadly, living in Columbus means we have to plan our wedding around Ohio State Football. Neither one of us are big fans, but we have enough family members and friends who are to make it a planning point. We picked two dates with crappy games -- September 25 and October 9.

We found a church we really liked that's available on October 9 but haven't been able to find a reception hall on the same date. We're paying for most of it ourselves, so definitely want to avoid the super swank places. The other problem is size -- I made a list and have 71 family members on my side alone. Simon has a pretty big family too. That makes for a wedding of 150 to 200 people and when reception places want $75 a person -- YIKES! The only good part is some of my family is really far away, as is Simon's. Maybe they won't want to travel. Isn't it terrible that you hope people RSVP 'No?'

I feel bad for Simon -- for the past two days, I've been emailing him pictures of churches and reception places and honeymoon places and asking him how many groomsmen he wants. I guess this is how it's going to be until we get married -- although I think some of the stress will be removed when we nail down a time, date and place for the ceremony/reception.

I was a little freaked out when I signed up for Wedding Wire and found out I had 41 overdue tasks. I've only been engaged for three days -- how can I already be so far behind?

No comments: