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.