He Put a Ring on It
Two months into being engaged and I am still on Cloud 9. I can't get enough of my ring and find myself staring at it lovingly every few minutes. Honestly, I must look at it at least 1000 times a day! It fills me with so much joy to know that Rich picked it out and chose it especially for me, knowing that I would love it. I am still in absolute awe at it and I feel so lucky that Rich chose something so lovely for me and went to so much effort to ensure it was exactly right. The boy did good!
I've seen so many people get engaged lately and they all seem to say that it was the best day ever when their man got down on one knee and popped the question, and I couldn't agree more; it really was the best day ever! I was so excited that it was finally my turn after dropping a lot of hints and wondering if Rich was ever going to ask me.
It was our four-year anniversary and we celebrated by having a cheese and wine picnic in Kings Park, just like we had the year before on our anniversary. We wanted to make this a little anniversary tradition and even sat under the very same tree as the previous year. It was a gorgeous summer's day and so very romantic. Anyone that knows me knows that picnics are my all-time favourite thing in the world, so it was a perfect setting. It was also a couple of days before Christmas and Rich had just got back home for the festivities after his two weeks working away. We were very excited for him to be home just in time for our anniversary and for Christmas and New Year celebrations, so we were already on a high!
We enjoyed our picnic in a lovely secluded part of the park, without anyone else around and after we'd finished eating, Rich said that he had a silly little anniversary gift that he'd like to give me. He said that I had to play hide and seek to find it, so while I closed my eyes and counted to ten, he hid a wrapped present in the branches of the tree we were sitting next to. He, of course, told me afterwards that the point of this was to get me standing up so he could get down on one knee, but I was too intent on sitting down and searching for the gift around the picnic stuff (while he was silently cursing me and inwardly urging me to stand up!). Eventually, I got up and found the present, which I started to unwrap. Inside was a box from a well-known jeweller in Perth called Rosendorff. When I saw the Rosendorff box, I obviously knew what was happening (though I'd had my suspicions prior to this anyway) and started to get very excited. I did tell myself to calm down though as it could have easily been a bracelet or necklace! I unwrapped the box and my heart sunk when I saw nothing but CHOCOLATES from a Celebrations box. I have never been so disappointed to see chocolate in all my life! Rich then said, 'It's not much…. but there is this…' (or something to that effect – I can’t remember exactly!) and got down on one knee and simply said, ‘Will you marry me?' Tears were streaming down his face and he was shaking as he produced the most beautiful ring I have ever seen. It truly was my favourite moment ever; to see my best friend and man of my dreams down on one knee, crying with how much he loves me and asking me to be his wife. It was the most indescribable feeling. I had suspected that he was going to propose on our anniversary, so it wasn't a huge shock for me like it is for some people, but it was still overwhelming and amazing and simply the most incredible moment of my life. I'd wanted this for a long time and had spent many hours daydreaming about how it would happen, and Rich did it exactly the way I had envisioned. It was just perfect in every way; the two of us alone having cheese and wine in our beautiful city that we call home.
The best part of the moment was that for a couple of hours, we were the only people in the world that knew that we were engaged, and we soaked up that moment by staying off our phones (except to take pictures of course) and enjoyed just being together in an excited engagement bubble. It's so easy to want to jump straight to your phone and start telling the world your exciting news, but I am so glad we enjoyed our picnic, drank wine and toasted to our exciting future. Just the two of us. We knew there would be plenty of time to start telling friends and family about our news. The time that we sat there together and finished our picnic was the best. I couldn't believe it had happened at last, that the ring on my finger was actually mine and that the man sitting beside me would soon be my husband. What a feeling! It was all very surreal and bizarre, and I was just on Cloud 9 and so excited and happy!
We finally started calling and messaging people and announced our news on social media, which felt very nerve-wracking and exciting. It was amazing telling our loved ones, who were all very excited for us. Not only do you get to marry your best friend, but you gain a whole new family too, and Rich's family welcomed me with open arms, which I love. I love being a part of his family, who I get on very well with. Equally, my dad and sister were very excited to welcome Rich into our family. Rich even did the right thing and asked my dad for permission to marry me; he knows I am a traditionalist in some ways!
We finished off an incredible day by going on a sunset dinner cruise on the Swan River, which we'd planned for our anniversary anyway, but just seemed so fitting for an engagement celebration. It was just so romantic and a perfect way to finish off our amazing day. Many, many glasses of Prosecco were consumed... of course!
It really was my favourite day and now the fun part can finally begin; we get to plan our wedding! We have set a date and booked our dream venue and we are so excited for our big day and for the next chapter of our lives; our marriage.
