The Proposal: Our Engagement Story

My friend Beth asked me to write about my relationship with my husband on her blog for a Valentine’s series, and I said no. I said no, because that’s not the kind of thing I usually share, but I got to thinking about our engagement and decided to make an exception, because it’s pretty cool story.

How we met

I met my husband, when I was in high school and had braces. I was 17 and worked at a store called Service Merchandise. I worked at the information booth at the front of the store, and he was hired on at Christmastime in the nearby jewelry department.

Our store manager was the calmest, slowest man I’ve ever met in my life. A great guy, who we years later learned was one of the original black panthers (Shut up! Totally true! In fact, here is a New York Times story and he is pictured bottom right. A bunch of the old Service gang still gets together every year and we discovered this about him trying to find him on the internet so we could invite him to a Christmas party.)

Anyway, in the Service Merchandise Jewelry Department, there was a group of people who bonded easily and hung out all the time. I was sort of adopted by that group.

Bert (my now husband) and I were about the same age. He was three years older (20) and in college, but the rest of the crew was a tad older so that put he and I in the same category in their minds.

So, over time, our friends encouraged him in my direction and whenever we went somewhere we somehow always ended up in the same car or sitting together.

Bert wanted to ask me out, but didn’t have the nerve, so his boss in the jewelry department called him to the office upstairs and left him in there with the phone and told him not to come out until he had asked me out.

He did. We went to play Putt Putt.

I remember my mom teasing me about having a date, and I was all “It’s NOT a date, were just FRIENDS!” Uh, it was totally a date. And she knew from day one that this was the guy for me. I didn’t, but she did.

Yes. Those are overalls. And, no, I don’t know why I thought that was okay.

The engagement

Fast forward through eight – wait, that needs some capital letters – EIGHT YEARS of dating. We were both living in Washington, DC at this point and I was ready to be engaged.

One day we were watching TV at my place (I lived with 3 other girls in a house) and there was an E! wedding special that made me burst into tears, “Blaaaaahhhh!!!”

Bert said, “Let me see if I can find you an e-saver flight to go see your sister in Nashville.” So a few days later he took me to the airport and dropped me off.  My parents decided to drive to Nashville from Knoxville to meet my sister and me. Fun, and just the distraction I needed to take my mind off the elusive engagement.

Here’s how it went down

Amy picked me up at the airport and we were supposed to meet our mom and dad and (her then boyfriend, now husband) Joel on the way to a restaurant. We were meeting up at some park.

At a red light on the way, my sister Amy said, “Do you have any lipstick?” I said “Sure, but it’s in the trunk.” She’s said, “Hop out and grab it for me, will you?”

I did and said, “Here you go.” She was all, “Let me see what it looks like on you first…” Yes, it was weird, but did I suspect anything…no.

We get to the park and Amy takes off running toward a little lake. I thought that was kind of rude, but whatever. I got out of the car and started toward her. My parents arrived at the park around the same time.

I got part way down the little hill by the lake and was tapped on the shoulder.

It was Bert, who dropped down on one knee and proposed while my parents and sister and Joel watched from afar.

My Dad took this picture.

My sister, Amy, took this one.

And I never saw it coming.

BEHIND THE SCENES: Here’s what I didn’t know…

What I didn’t know was that after Bert dropped me off at the airport, went home, got his suitcase and a friend of ours dropped HIM off at the airport because he was on the next flight down to Nashville. My sister’s boyfriend, Joel, picked him up at the airport and took him to the park. The ring was in Knoxville (remember all our jewelry friends – yes, that came in handy). Anyway, my Dad picked up the ring in Knoxville  to bring it to Bert in Nashville and THAT is the real reason he and my mom decided to come to Nashville, too.

Super fun. My parents had a camera, and my sweet sister even made sure I had lipstick on for the picture. I sure love my sweet husband who worked so hard to make our proposal special and everyone else who helped and supported us along the way to our wedding.

And THAT is our engagement story.

 Happy Valentine’s Day, Friends. I’m thankful for you.

A Funny Valentines Day Card Exchange Between My Parents

Bra/Thong Cookies

DIY Photo Valentine’s Cards