A Very Special Surprise Engagement

Back in April my Aunt contacted me to ask if it was ok to give my phone number to my cousin's boyfriend.  Of course the very first thing I asked and replied with was "Yes, is he planning to propose?" I was elated to hear that he indeed was planning something, however the planning was a bit tricky.

You see, Holli lives here in Oregon, Vincent lives in India. So not only did we have to deal with a time change but we had to come up with ideas and schemes so that Holli would not become suspicious when she was unable to get in touch with him for an entire day.

Vincent and Holli met while attending Hillsong in Australia, They became friends and he finally got the courage to ask her out. Close to a year later on what would be their 1 year anniversary of dating he wanted to give her the biggest surprise ever!

This surprise was not only being in the same country as her on their anniversary but proposing on their anniversary.  So Vincent and I got to work with early morning and late night conversations, plans, ideas, decor and most importantly making sure it was everything she would dream it to be.

To get Holli to the proposal spot I used my family to have a "family picnic" in the park. Luckily my birthday wasn't to far before the engagement but I was in Washington DC for it, so I used an excuse that I wanted to have a family BBQ at the Park to celebrate.  Our cousin Kristen drove Holli to the park and we came up with a great excuse for her to "kick Holli out". She sent Holli on her way down a road where Vincent was waiting for her with purple roses. The closer she got to him the more excited she got. She thought he was in a remote area of India, which was "why" she wasn't able to talk to him for a few days. So she didn't really believe it was him at first. Once she realized it was him she screamed and went running.  Probably one of the sweetest moments was we had her parents hidden so that they could see that moment.  However, Holli is such a sweet person that she didn't even suspect anything other than he was there to celebrate their anniversary.

Vincent walked her back down a trail at the park to a table we had set up with her favorite foods, Mexican. :)  Special thanks to Divine Catering for working with us to set it all up.

One of my favorite parts was watching her drop the book he made her as an anniversary gift and dive at him.  

 

Thank you so much to Leahana from Leahana Byrd Photography for capturing this special moment. Read about it on her blog here.

After the proposal was finished and I was able to come out of hiding we had more surprises in store for Holli.  A real family dinner which included her parents, some cousins & Vincents brother who flew out with him for the proposal. 

While we love everything about what we do, getting to be a part of so many couples special days is amazing and when it is someone we love as much as we do its even better!

Thank you Vincent for allowing me to assist in making your dream come true & allowing me to be a part of your special day!  Thank you Holli for allowing me to take you out for an unsuspecting manicure to get your nails done! 

Lots of Love! Looking forward to January!

Lisa Marie

Events by Lisa Marie

The Proposal

Hey Guys, This one is for you.  The Engagement Season is here, and so are we to help you out with any questions you may have.

Recently we had a consultation with a soon to be groom who is planning a special proposal for his girlfriend.  We gave him lots of things to think about during his planning.  Below are a few of our tips. 

Things to think about
1. Is it important to her to have her parents approval?  Remember to ask mom, dad or whomever. 
2. Remember that it doesn't have to be over the top, just special and personal.
3. If the ring doesn't fit it is ok, the surprise will be enough for her.
4. Do you know what type of ring she wants?  Here are a few tips, Does she wear a lot of yellow gold or Silver?  Chances are, whichever she wears, is what she will want her engagement/wedding ring to be.
5. Is there a location that is special to the two of you?  A first date?  Favorite Memory?  These are great places to propose.
6. Have a friend or professional photographer hide to capture the joy and emotions.  Just make sure she doesn't see them.
7. Think about something sweet to tell her.  Maybe tell her how you knew she was the one, or how just how much you love her.  Write it down for her to have forever but know if you can't get out anything other than "Marry Me?"  It is ok.

Things not to do.
1. Putting the ring in her food or drink.  No one wants to swallow the ring, have it in their mouth or try to put on a sticky ring.
2. Do not over do it.  Keep it to your personalities.  It does not need to be a big huge over the top proposal.
3. Do not do it at a restaurant or in front of a huge amount of people if your girlfriend is shy and it would embarrass her.
4. Do not make it seem casual or like an obligation.  This is something that should be special for her.

Enjoy this moment.  It will only happen once and you will want this to be a special memory.

What to do after she says yes?
1. Enjoy the moment, Say I love you (if you haven't already)
2. Keep it a secret for at least a few hours.  Something only the two of you know.  (if you can that is)
3. When you are ready to talk wedding plans, give us a call for a complimentary consultation about what to do first in your wedding planning.

Events by Lisa Marie

www.eventsbylisamarie.com

503-830-7779

Lisa Marie and Team :)

Hip, Fun, Sassy and Stylish Event and Wedding Planning