During the wedding planning process, it’s easy to get caught up in the little details of the wedding – “this flower or that flower”, “which centerpiece looks better?”, “should we serve crab puffs or crab cakes?” That’s not to say those decisions aren’t important, but they aren’t everything, and they probably won’t matter much in the long run.

Sometimes, it’s nice just to think back to the beginning, and recently I’ve spent a lot of time thinking back to when we got engaged.

The Bling

During an impromptu ring shopping trip, I had helped him pick out the ring. And by “helped”, I mean that I saw the ring that I wanted and said “That’s it!!  Get one like that!” I assumed that it was out of his price range, but at least he knew my taste.

A few weeks later, we went out to one of our favorite restaurants and had a nice relaxing evening. It was so great to be out with him – spending some time just being together after a fairly stressful week. Towards the end of the meal, I noticed him getting a little nervous. And then, all of the sudden, he pulled out a ring box with the ring we had found together, and he asked. I don’t remember what he said, I don’t remember if it was before or after the dessert… I only remember that I said yes. And I cried. And the chefs in the kitchen had overheard and started cheering for us. It was such a great night! When I got caught up in the minutia of “this fork or that fork”, “this chair or that chair”, I like to think back on that night and remember: in less than 6 months, I’m marrying my best friend, and that’s all that matters. So what about you? What’s your engagement story? Did you know ahead of time that he would propose? Did you help pick out the ring? Was it a grand occasion (think: big screen at a football game) or a quiet simple affair (the two of you on the couch at home)? And what does it feel like now to be engaged to the man of your dreams?