Wedding Colors!

Our main wedding color is Purple.
There are many meanings to the color purple: it symbolizes power, nobility, luxury, and ambition. It conveys wealth and extravagance. Purple is associated with wisdom, dignity, independence, creativity, mystery, and magic. It also symbolizes spiritual fulfillment.
Our accent color is bright blue/sky blue.
Some of the meanings to the color of blue we are using is: it symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, truth and heaven. Blue produces a calming effect.

Examples of the wedding colors that we are using are below:

The dress of my dreams

Below are some pictures of my dream wedding dresses. I love the style of a lace wedding dress which is why they are all lace. I also want a dress that shows my figure and highlights my key features. I really like the dresses with open backs, also. I feel like the lace dress really shows the vintage style that I am looking for and makes it look more old fashioned.

Our website!

I have mentioned how awesome the website www.theknot.com is and so I thought I should share with you our wedding website that I created for Nick & I.

http://BrooksAndPugh.ourwedding.com

I hope you enjoy our wedding website!

Kerri Photography!

There are hundreds of different photographers out there to choose from but one that caught my eye was Kerri Photography. Kerri Photography is run by kerri Salow who is actually originally from my hometown, Earlville. She now lives near Des Moines. What caught my eye about her was the fact that she did my cousin's wedding photos a couple years ago and I fell in love with her work. She has great creativity and her pictures are so eye-catching. There was no doubt in my mind that I had to have her for our wedding!

I contacted Kerri about a month ago to get information from her regarding her photography and she gave me the following:

• Website: www.kerriphotography.com
• Blog: www.kerrisalowphotography.blogspot.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kerri-Photography

I highly recommend you check out her blog, it is filled with amazing pictures!! And you will learn a thing or two about Kerri, she is awesome!

Also check out her facebook page!

2 weeks...

I graduate exactly 2 weeks from today so wedding-related-things are not necessarily on my mind at all right now. Things that are on my mind right now are:

• Finals
• Lining up a job for after graduation
• Moving out of Coe College
• Last minute get togethers with friends
• Studying, studying, studying...

There is a lot going on these last two weeks of college so my mind is far from thinking about wedding plans as sad as that is to say. I know that once these two weeks are over though, that the wedding plans will pick up right where I left off!

Unfortunately, since I am so busy these last two weeks of school, that leaves me little to no time to see Nick. :(  That is probably one of the hardest things to deal with in our relationship, the long periods of time apart. Nick knew, getting into this relationship that he was going to have to deal with me living in Cedar Rapids most of the time while he lives in Manchester (nearly an hour apart). In reality, an hour is not that bad. When we go weeks without seeing each other though, it is taxing on our relationship. It creates tension sometimes, not because we want to be mad at each other but because we are striving to see each other so badly.

I am praying that these last two weeks do not create any tension between the two of us but brings us closer. I also pray that my finals do not stress me out too much.

Advice to Couples

The Knot

At the time, wedding plans are very slow right now due to graduation being less than two weeks away and since I am job searching right now for after graduation. Even though I am not making any major wedding plans right now I have found some GREAT websites to use for when the wedding plans to pick up.

Currently, my favorite site is The Knot! I encourage you all to check it out. I also joined their weekly newsletter that gets sent out to all brides who sign up for it. I also get a countdown from this site for when my wedding is. Hope you all love the site as much as I do, I highly recommend you check it out...I could easily spend hours on this site myself :)

Save the Date Ideas...

This summer Nick and I will be getting out engagement pictures taken and shortly after that we will be sending out our "Save the Date's". Now, there are many unique ideas for Save the Date's these days. Putting your Save the Date on magnets is a very popular trend right now and a great keepsake at that!

There are so many ideas out there, and it's really fun to make your Save the Date resemble the theme of your wedding or show the uniqueness of the couple in some way. Below are a few ideas, my favorites that I have found (thanks to pinterest!).

This one is my favorite and Nick and I will probably
use this format for ours because the dates of our
meeting and first date and engagement are all very important
to us :)

Do the Math=very simple and unique!

If I could get Nick to be in on this I think it could be VERY cute!

Very simple and to the point, my mom would probably prefer this,
money saver for sure!

I would love to do this to showcase more of our
engagement photos

PUPPIES!!!!!!

9 months into our relationship, Nick got a puppy for me, which we named Zoe. I have always been a lover of Huskies; Zoe was a 3 month old husky when we recieved her, with one blue eye and one brown eye. I fell in love with her from Day 1. Since Nick and I did not have a place of our own yet at this point (with me being in college and all), Nick's parents graciously let Zoe live out on their farm until Nick and I move in together. This gave Zoe all the running space she wanted.

A little over 2 years of owning Zoe, we were surprised to find out that she was pregnant. Thanks to the nearby neighbor dog, Zoe was going to be having puppies.

Sunday morning as I sat in church taking in the word of the Lord from our pastor up at the pulpit, I glanced down at my cell phone which sat on the pew between my mom and I and realized that I had a text message from Nick. Luckily I left my phone on silent; eager to see what he had to say I opened the text discreetly and it read: Zoe had her puppies this morning. If I had not been sitting in church I would have screamed out in excitement. I kept my cool but quickly shared the text with my mom. At this point in the church service I had completely missed the point of the sermon but was so enthralled in the good news that Zoe was a mommy that I didn't really care.

Now, a month later, the puppies are growing so quickly and I play with them every chance I get when I am home. Unfortunately, there is no way we can keep them so now we are eager to sell them. Although, I am hoping to be able to keep at least one of them :) We will have to see about that...

The only 2 that are not all black. The one on the left looks like a
mini-Zoe and the one on the right looks like a german shephard.

All 6 of Zoe's puppies in one take!

St. Patrick's Day!

St. Patrick’s Day has never been that big of a deal to me. My favorite part of the holiday was just going to the local St. Patrick’s Day parade in Dyersville (literally a 10 minute drive from home). While I have been living in Cedar Rapids, attending Coe College the past four years I haven’t had the chance to attend or even celebrate St. Patrick’s Day back home. Well, for the first time in a long time I had it off this year so I decided to go home and celebrate it with Nick.

Nick is Catholic, so for him this is an important holiday (or so he says). I think he just likes the opportunity to go out with his buddies at night and get all decked out in green. The Saturday of St. Patrick’s Day is when the annual Dyersville St. Patrick’s Day parade is held so Nick and I made plans to go together and meet up with some of my cousins that were going to be there. Before Nick made his way to my house to pick me up, he went to pick his nephew, Dominic, to bring him along to the parade. The parade was a surprise for Dominic, he had no idea where we were going.

Boy, did we have a fun day together, just us three! Dominic loved the parade, except for the loud sirens from the fire trucks L Every time a fire truck drove by Dominic would stand behind Nick or sit on Nick’s lap and make Nick cover his ears until they were completely past. Aside from that ruckus, Dominic loved the surprise! Nick and I had a good time too J

PS! Something new I learned this year is EXACTLY why we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day! Check it out if you honestly have no idea! St. Patrick’s Day celebration

Like Mother, Like Daughter

Me trying on my Mother's wedding dress

My mother's 70's style wedding dress fit me to a T. As my mom pulled it out of her closet, the smell of "old" filled the room. The dress seemed very long on the hanger, too long for me. "Can I try it on?" I asked my mom as we glanced at the long ivory dress together. She took it off the hanger and handed it to me. I pulled it on and it felt very frail as I pulled it up over my petite body. I slipped my arms through each arm hole; the sleeves were so thin, my dark complexion shone through them. After adjusting the shoulders my mom zipped me up in the back. Not too tight, but not too loose. I turned around to let her get a glance and sure enough it fit me, just the way it should.

I was in disbelief that my mom was once at the exact same size as I am. "You could wear this for your wedding." my mom announced, jokingly, "all I would have to do is get it cleaned for you." I laughed and said, "I think it's a bit out-of-date for me, but thanks!"

A Little Girl's Dream

Many little girls dream about their wedding...I was one of them. This picture proves it:

As a little girl I dreamt about my wedding day. I dreamt about every little detail, I just didn't know who was going to be playing the role of the groom. That was to be decided. Now that I have a ring on my finger I can finally put all these dreams and ideas to work. I have found the perfect man to play the part of the groom; together we can dream about our wedding day...

Disagreement: Mustang or not?

It is pretty common to have disagreements between couples. If we were all the same, life would be pretty boring. Even though having a disagreement with Nick can sometimes be frustrating, it ends up bringing us closer and I know I appreciate the disagreements because it means we are both different and that is what makes us so special.

Our latest disagreement was, of course, over wedding plans/ideas. I am a lover of Mustangs...

Any color, any kind, I love them all! So, ever since I started falling in love with Mustangs (which was before I fell in love with Nick) I have always wanted to drive away in a Mustang at my wedding. Last weekend, Nick and I were spending time at his parent's house and talking about wedding plans. I asked what he thought about using his aunt's mustangs (his aunt owns 6 Mustangs....I admire her for that) and he asked, "Why can't we just use a party bus?" I was confused; I thought he knew that I always wanted Mustangs for our wedding "get away" vehicle. I explained how, when we drive away after the wedding I want it to just be the two of us for that moment (not the entire wedding party surrounding us). I guess he disagreed because he was okay with the thought of leaving the wedding as a group. I thought it would be pretty cool to have each of the bridesmaids/groomsman leave in a different one of his aunt's Mustangs. Nick came back with, "Who do you expect to drive these Mustangs?"...well I have been thinking about this for quite some time so I knew my answer right away, "Our uncles..." I said simply. I have 2 uncles that live nearby that I know would love to help by driving us around before the reception and Nick has more than enough that would be willing to help. We never did settle the issue....It's still open for debate. There are ups and downs of each idea: using a party bus vs. different Mustangs for each couple.

Another reason I really want to drive away in a vehicle (Mustang) with just the two of us is because I always dreamed of this:

The sound of aluminum cans hitting the pavement, colorful strings flying in the air, and my veil blowing out of the window as we are driven away. And the last thing you see: "Just Married" on the back of the MUSTANG

First Dance

The first song that Nick and I ever danced to (that we can remember) is called Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not by Thompson Square. Nick was a groomsman at his cousin Kyle's wedding the first year that we were together and at the reception this song came on. At the time this was a brand new hit that had just come out. Nick came over to me and didn't even ask if I wanted to dance; he pulled me out of my chair and onto the dance floor where he slow danced with me. Every time the chorus came up "Are you gonna kiss me or not..." Nick would pull me in for a kiss and then we would continue dancing. I thought it was pretty romantic...this will be a song that without a doubt will be played at our wedding reception! Enjoy!

To Do List

So far I have done the following:

• Reserved the Church
• Reserved the Reception hall
• Put a down payment on the reception hall
• Reserved the DJ: Boogie Tyme by Bill Stock
• Put a down payment on the DJ

The next few things I need to do as soon as possible:

• Research & Reserve a caterer for the reception
• Research and schedule an engagement photography session
• Sit down with my mom, Nick's parents, and Nick and I to figure out the budget and figure out who is paying for what.

The History of Engagement Rings

I always just thought that the point of an engagement ring was to symbolize your love for your future bride and the fact that it is a circle symbolizes that love is never-ending.

But there is much more to it than just that...

When we first laid eyes on each other

In February of 2010, I was attending my very first CEW (Christian Experience Weekend) in Guttenberg, Iowa. I was a sophomore in college at the time and my faith was very important to me. I was in a relationship at the time (nothing serious) and had been looking forward to this weekend for quite some time because I was looking for some answers. I was walking back upstairs to finish my lunch and as I did I ran into Nick. He caught my eye because I remembered him from high school. He attended the same high school as I did, Maquoketa Valley, and was just a grade above me. We never talked in high school because he was in the “popular crowd” and I was not but I always remembered him from a computer class we took together my freshman year. He had the tendency to stare at my friends and I from across the room in this computer class so we nick-named him “Googly Eyes” behind his back. I knew he was popular in school but I never really thought he was that cute. Seeing him at CEW though, made me see him differently. I had no idea why he was there but after he caught my eye, I waved and said, “Hello!” and made my way back upstairs to the “lunch room”.

           
Once lunch was officially over, all of the ladies were told to make their way back to the group room where we were going to be hearing another talk. As I slowly made my way back to the room I was stopped suddenly when I saw Nick again. This time I decided I should probably be polite and say more than just, “Hi”. I asked him how he had been and what he had been up to and why he was there, just made small talk. I then went back into the room informing my mom of who that was and realizing that his mother was attending the weekend as well. That was the first time I laid eyes on Nick and saw him as more than just a classmate or acquaintance. Even though I had a boyfriend at the time, seeing him there made me wonder if there was more to him than met the eye. It made me wonder if he was a Christian too, like me, and if maybe we would have more in common now than we would have in high school.

I didn’t let these thoughts consume me too much because I wanted to enjoy the weekend without thinking too much about boys. Before I knew it, though, the weekend was coming to a close and we were being lead to the closing ceremony of CEW. This being my first CEW I had no idea what to expect but since I had been through past ones, watching my mom attend, I did know that the closing ceremony meant lots of family/friends and also lots of emotions. As I walked into the room filled with family and friends I made my way to the seats they had laid out for us and once I eventually sat down I did a scan of the room to see who was all there in the audience. In the front row was Nick, obviously attending for his mom. For some reason, unknown to me at the time, this made me nervous. Many ladies decided to stand up and give their thoughts about the weekend, some were short and sweet, others were emotional and long, and I just remember sitting there thinking of what I should say. I wanted to come up with the perfect words and eventually I did; I continuously said these words over and over again in my  mind and then I knew it was time for me to give my two cents about the weekend in my point of view. I stood up, and as I did one of the ladies around me said, “Aren’t you gonna stand up?!” as a joke about how short I was so then to egg them on, I stood up onto my chair and said, “Is this better?” Everyone laughed in the crowd and once it got quiet I said something along the lines of this being my first ever CEW and how attending it with my mom made it amazing and I also remember saying, “I’m not 13, or 16, but 19!” and that also created lots of laughter in the room. I remember catching a glimpse of Nick even laughing (that made me feel good). After I gave my experience of the weekend in my own words, the rest of the closing ceremony went by pretty fast and then everyone sang a song and after that we all went out and hugged our family and friends that came and visited with everyone. I made sure to visit with those friends who were dear to me so that I wouldn’t have to confront Nick because I was too nervous to do that. As I was talking to some friends of ours I turned around and caught a glimpse of Nick standing behind me looking at me. I knew what I had to do so I went up to him and thanked him for coming and oddly enough he held out his arms to me and offered me a hug. That wasn’t really what I was expecting of him but I gave in, and gave him a hug and I remember thinking how nice that felt.

After lots of talking with lots of different people and saying goodbye to some of the great Christian friends I had made that weekend I helped mom pack up all of our stuff so we could load our car. Through this process I kept seeing Nick and kept seeing him smile at me. I remember thinking, “What is his deal?” but was sort of having fun seeing him pop up here and there. We loaded my mom’s car and then decided to go upstairs and help clean up everything from the weekend. And of course, Nick and his family were helping too. I don’t know if I mentioned this before but I was enjoying seeing him again and again. After Mom and I helped load up some of the remains of the weekend we decided to head back home. Before we left town, mom needed to stop at Casey’s General Store to get a soda for the drive home for us. Low and behold Nick and his little sister are at the store as well. I see him and wave and flash a smile before I get into the car for the drive home. And for some reason he was on my mind for much of the drive home.

A picture is worth 1000 words

Especially when Nick is in them...
I could go on and on describing the type of person Nick is, but why talk about him when I could show him to you. Nick has many faces and I love them all, I hope you enjoy them as much as I have!



Nick as a Sailor at his cousin's wedding

Nick all dressed up for the Presidential Ball at Coe

Nick as a pumpkin at a pumpkin patch



Nick as Pirate Captain Jack Sparrow for Halloween

Nick posing at a park

Nick posing at a Mexican restaurant

Nick at my family's 3rd of July celebration



Nick at a summer picnic

Nick the night he proposed to me

The Groom to be!

Most people think that the wedding day is a day that girls dream about all their life. This is true…but there is more to it with Nick. “My wedding day is something that I have thought A LOT about since I was little as well” is what Nick admitted to me one night as we were discussing wedding details. This both surprised me and pleased me; he wanted to be part of the wedding decision-making process and I was more than happy to include him in that. After all, I sure didn’t want to be the only one making the decisions and it’s nice to hear from him what his opinion is on things.

That is just the way Nick is. Nick is kind, thoughtful, outgoing (when you really get to know him), romantic, and childish (at times). Nick sometimes worries more about his looks than I do, but most of the time we are about even. Even though he is grown up, he is still a child; he loves his wrestling figurines that were popular when he was a youngster and he absolutely loves to wrestle and be rough with his 4 year old nephew. Nick can be old fashioned in some ways (which can be a positive or a negative thing). Some of his views in life/society can be outdated, in my opinion, but on the positive side he loves to write me letters every week, which I always thought was a lost form of art but I am thankful that he does it. Nick is a movie fanatic, he owns about 600 DVD’s but if you were to ask him the names of actors or actresses in them he probably would be at a loss of words.

I could go on and on about the good (and the bad) qualities that Nick holds…It is all of these qualities, and more, that made me fall in love with him. The good. The bad. They all shape the man that he is and the man that I am proud to call my Fiance.

Save the Date!

We threw around a number of possible dates for a few months. We started with July 13, 2013 because Nick’s “lucky number” is 13 so we thought that would be cute to play off of the number 13. That date ended up being the same week as our hometown fair. We contemplated July 6, 2013 because my favorite holiday is the 4^th of July and I thought we could do fireworks after our reception in honor of the big holiday. June 22, 2013, came up next; my lucky number is 2 so we made that our third option. Finally, after lots of talking and debating on different dates we made the mutual decision to set the date for June 8, 2013. There were many reasons for this chosen date. The most important is because Nick’s parent’s wedding anniversary is June 9 and so, we found it fitting to have our anniversary the day after theirs.

                When we met with Father Quint last Saturday (February 25) the last question he asked us was, “What date do you want to get married on?” Nick and I looked at each other, and looked at Father, and said,

"June 8, 2013."

The date was written in the book, the church is reserved…next step: reserving the reception hall.

Meeting with Father

Father greeted us at the door of the rectory; it was our second visit there. The first time we scheduled a meeting with him was so I could learn more about the Catholic religion. This time we were meeting to reserve the church for Nick and my wedding and to begin marital counseling. Father Quint is the priest for both the Dyersville basilica and the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Earlville, where Nick and I want to get married.

                We made our way to his office and Nick and I each had a seat on different sides of his office and Father sat in between us. I was so excited about the whole process of beginning the actual wedding planning that many of the details of the day slipped my mind quickly after the meeting. We started by telling Father Quint how we met, where we met, and the details of the beginning of our relationship. We then moved on to the proposal, Nick and I both put in details of how the proposal went down and where that took place. Father seemed pleased and added in, “Seems like the Mississippi River is a theme so far…you met along the Mississippi River in Guttenburg and Nick, you proposed to her along the Mississippi River in Dubuque.”

                After story time, it was Father’s turn to explain to us what the process entails and sort of a time line of what needs to be done and by when. From there Father retrieved a worksheet filled with questions that needed to be answered by Nick and myself. Questions ranged from how our parent’s relationships are, our relationships with our parents/siblings, communication with one another, trust and honesty with each other, living together before marriage, etc. We covered a broad range of topics and overall Nick and I felt like we could really open up to Father Quint. The last thing Father needed to do was meet individually with each of us, while the other left the room. This dealt with whether we are in any way related, ever been married in the past, ever been divorced, and whether or not we are being forced into this marriage. Results came back positive, of course, and the very last thing was reserving the church for our wedding.

                Nick and I are very pleased with how the meeting turned out. We feel like we can really be open with Father Quint and are excited to start the wedding process now that a date is officially set.

The Proposal (From HIS Perspective)

                It was August 26, 2011. We went to the Star Brewery in Dubuque for supper. I picked this location because Stef loves the view of the Mississippi and this restaurant sits right on the banks of the river. I was so nervous that night because I didn’t know where to hide the ring. The box was too bulky in my pocket and I didn’t know where else to hide the ring that I was going to propose with. I ended up hiding it in my car, but then I didn’t know how to get it.

                Well…we were eating and I thought, I should tell her that my contacts are bothering me so I can go to the car and get the ring. I told her my contacts were bothering me so I was going to go to the bathroom to fix them. I went to the car at that time and got the ring and then went back in to the restaurant; then I turned to the bathroom to wipe the large amount of sweat from my face. I hid the ring box in my shirt and that worked really well. I went back to the table to get a picture taken with Stef, and then we went to the river walk.

                The river was beautiful that night. It was calming to hear the sounds of the river. The whole time while we were walking, I was rehearsing what to say in my head. We made it to the small, sandy beach by the gazebo and I thought, yes, this is it. Fighting with myself, I then thought No, not yet. It wasn’t right on the sandy beach. I saw the gazebo all lit up in the dark of the night and thought this is perfect. I saw the lit up bridge in the background and a boat or two floating along the Mississippi. We stood there and talked a little bit and I waited until the couple behind us walked past us so we could be completely alone. Stef continued to talk; she was really enjoying the beauty of the river and of the night in general. I saw her look away, towards the river; I felt the butterflies form in my stomach for the second time in my life…it felt so good. I wiped my nervous, shaky hands, and then grabbed the box from my shirt. I looked at the box and said a quick prayer Please be in the box. I got down on one knee just as Stef turned toward me and when she looked, my heart jumped. She dropped her camera instantly. I looked into her eyes and she turned red and began to cover her eyes. She was shaking, I could tell. I got the words in my head but I only got out half of what I wanted to say as I opened the box, I said, “Stefanie Brooks, will you marry me?” and then I froze. It was total silence, I was thinking Please say yes, please say something. The moment seemed to last forever!

                Finally, she said “YES!” I could breathe again! I slid the ring onto her ring finger, it was a perfect fit. I stood up and we just held each other close. I thought why couldn’t I say all of what I had planned? Then I eventually told her what I really wanted to say: Stefanie Brooks will you marry me and spend the rest of your life with me. Will you be my soul mate forever and always?

Wedding Party

Something that I had been looking forward to since Nick proposed was choosing our wedding party. We had decided that this was a decision that needed to be made together, as a couple. One day we sat down together, I got out a notebook, and we made a list of all of our closest friends and relatives. On one side were the girls, and the other side were the boys. Nick was first; he was to decide who he wanted as his best man and one by one he went down the line choosing his groomsmen. Days before this we had decided that we wanted 6 bridesmaids and groomsmen so aside from his best man he chose 5 relatives/friends to be groomsmen. I was next; I already knew my sister was going to be my maid of honor so I then chose 5 additional friends to be my bridesmaids. What I thought would be easy decisions ended up having difficulties. We each wanted to include those people who we thought would stick by our sides through the long haul. The decision was not all made in one night; in fact it took a few weeks to say that it was set in stone.

After seeing a cute project idea on Pinterest I decided to invite the people that we chose to be in our wedding party, first bridesmaids, and then the groomsmen.  For the men I made the following wedding party invites:

For the women I made the following wedding party invites:

This is a cute way to invite those people who mean a lot to you in your life to be a part of your big day. It’s also a cute keepsake for your wedding party!

Spreading the word...

                The ring was on my finger. The night was coming to an end. Or so I thought… We made our way to the car; it was time to go home. The next item on the list: share our big news with the family!

                First stop: my mom’s house. The porch light was on, as if my mom and sister were expecting us any minute. When we made it to the front door, we were greeted by my mom and sister who looked like they were about to bust from the seams with excitement. The door didn’t even shut behind us before I blurted out, “WE’RE ENGAGED!” and shoved my left hand ring finger in their faces. My mom grabbed my hand in awe of the ring on my finger, hugged me, and congratulated Nick. Her baby girl was going to be getting married. My sister was next. She looked like she could barely contain her excitement; she got a look-see of the ring and hugged me as well.

                With my sister being older than me, I was unaware as to how she would react to the news of her little sister being engaged before her. When I heard her say, “I’m the maid of honor, right?” I knew that she was more than happy to see this day come, even if it meant her little sister’s wedding coming before her own. I quickly replied by saying, “Of course!” I wanted her to be as much a part of this experience as myself. We all hugged, the Congratulations were exchanged, and before long we were off to our next house.

                Second, and last stop: His parent’s house. With the excitement still built up inside of both of us, we made our way down the long lane to his parent’s house. Before sharing the news with his parents we both got on our knees and expressed our big news to our puppy, Zoe. Whether she realized what we were saying to her or not didn’t even matter, but she licked our faces and accepted our hugs as if she knew what was going on. Hand in hand, we made our way through the garage and eventually into the house. His mom was already in the kitchen. We shut the door behind us and waited for Nick’s dad to make his way into the kitchen before blurting out the news. Nick made small talk with his mom while I tried my hardest to keep my mouth shut and keep the ring hidden. Once Nick’s dad joined us in the kitchen he looked at me clearly and said, “What’s wrong with you?” and not being able to wait a single second longer I replied with, “Well……WE’RE ENGAGED!” I immediately shifted my eyes to Nick’s mom, my left hand waving in the air, with emphasis on my ring finger. She got a glimpse of the ring and shared it with his father.

                The support of family never felt so strong as that night. It was the support from everyone that really made me feel secure. Sharing the news with those you love the most and those who are such a big part of your life was the greatest experience…one that I would live over and over again if I could.

Bling, Bling, I got the ring!

Nick and I  before the proposal

I stood there taking in the view of the giant Mississippi River, breathing in the humid, summer air. I zoned in on the river for just a moment, admiring the way the city lights gleamed off of the water. A pitch black sky, bright city lights, mosquitoes flying around my hair, water hitting the edge of the river walk. I didn’t even realize that Nick was down on one knee, right beside me. My view instantly switched from the majestic river to him and what he held in his hands: A little white box. I forgot about everything else going on at that moment. My heart started thumping faster and faster as the box slowly was being opened. The anticipation was rising in me as I waited to see what beauty was being hid inside that petite box. Inside was a shiny, silver ring which rested on top of a white pillow. Three shimmering diamonds were perched on top of the silver ring and I felt like my breath was taken away. Finally the silence was broken when Nick uttered, “Stefanie, will you marry me?” No words could come out of my mouth at that moment…the definition of speechless.

                What seemed like minutes upon minutes was probably only a few seconds. I still had not answered due to the admirable ring that sat in front of me. Its funny how something so tiny, yet so glistening, could take one’s breath away so easily. My jaw dropped and my hands automatically covered my mouth in shock from what was just said. I looked into Nick’s eyes for a split second, and without a stutter, I squealed, “YES!”

                At that moment, nothing mattered but Nick and I. All thoughts of the river had vanished from my mind because all that mattered was the promise that had just been made which was placed on my ring finger; the promise to spend the rest of our lives together. This walk of life that I was on was no longer being traveled alone; from here on out I would be joined by Nick. My life changed that night, in a matter of 5 minutes.