08.26.2020
It’s been almost a full week since Pat proposed and I feel like I’m still riding the euphoric high of the moment.
I probably glance at my hand more than I should, reminiscing back on how perfect it was. On August 26th, Pat asked me to be his wife and as cheesy as it is, it was the best day of my life. I can’t wait to spend the rest of our lives together.
Since I was a teenager, I often daydreamed about this moment…who would I marry? How would he ask? How would it feel? When he finally asked, it was better than any daydream. It was intimate, thoughtful, and flawlessly planned. Soon I get to marry my best friend and the person who makes my heart sing. Pat is patient, smart, understanding, funny, devoted to family, and is kind to everyone he meets. He makes me a better person and makes me feel like I am supported, appreciated, and loved. I could not be more sure of any decision. He’s my best friend and my future hubby!
We’ve been together for 10 wonderful years but it feels like time just flew by. When I met Pat back in 2010, I was 17 and convinced I met my Mr. Darcy. (I was right!) Our relationship wasn’t always easy or perfect but our love continued to grow and adapt to whatever life threw at us. There were days where I swear I felt like I was falling in love with him all over again.
Our Favorite Vacation
Pat once asked me what my favorite memory was with him. Looking back, I think he was trying to figure out how to propose lol. I told him about a vacation we took years back. With a smile, he said it was his favorite memory too.
So here’s the backstory: We realized neither of us had ever been to the Outer Banks, so we decided to take a random trip to Ocracoke Island. We had no hotel reservations or any plans….we winged the whole thing! About 5 hours into the drive, we were pretty hungry and prowling for a place to grab dinner. After looking for 30 minutes, we saw a random Domino’s and popped in for a medium half-cheese, half-chicken and tomato pizza. The plan was to eat in the car but we were so enamored by the sunset. We crossed a bridge and saw this random little turn-off with shrubs and greenery that overlooked the ocean sound. It looked like a good place to eat so we pulled off to enjoy our slices and watch the sunset.
We stayed, even after dark, holding hands on rocks, listening to the sound of the ocean. There was a small beach with tiny crabs and we watched them dart back and forth looking for their own dinner. We had no clue where we were but it felt strangely like home. Even after we got back in our car, heading to the ferry, all we could talk about was how romantic and perfect that little turn off was.
A Second Trip
We just returned home from my birthday camping trip when Pat announced that he would be taking me on one more trip…this time to the beach. When he showed me the Airbnb my jaw hit the floor. It was a boat in Beaufort, NC. We were literally staying on a boat. We hadn’t even finished unpacking but how could I say no to a beach trip? I only had one day to repack my bags. Pat invited my sister to come but this didn’t throw me off because she was always traveling with us.
How He Proposed
We arrived at the marina around 3 PM on August 26th. He told me we would be exploring Harker’s Island so I did my make up and made my hair presentable. Before we left, we snapped some photos on the boat too!
So there we were, in the car, on the way to Harker’s Island. Out of nowhere, I see a Domino’s and it looks familiar. I point at it, “Wait, was that THE Domino’s? The one from the trip to Ocracoke?!” He looks at me like I was nuts and says, “It looks similar but we are too far south on the coast to be anywhere near it.”
I believed him and laughed it off. About ten minutes later, we crossed a bridge and my heart started jittering. “Pat, this IS the place. This looks like the bridge!!” He looks around and says, “Oh my god, it does look similar!” We drove past the turn-off, still doubting it was the same one. Then suddenly, I spotted the rocks where we once sat watching the sunset. I couldn’t contain my excitement, “Babe I think this is it, this is the spot!” He immediately turned the car around and drove back.
We parked the car and looked around at how much the place had changed. My sister and him suggested we take photos despite the construction. We made our way over the rocks and snapped a couple of photos on my phone. I couldn’t stop grinning from ear-to-ear…somehow we found it. Somehow fate brought us back here. As the wind blew my hair all over my face, I looked at him and said, “Babe, I love you.” He looked at me and said, “Do you really”? I replied, “Of course I do,” and kissed him.
Pat strangely pulled away from me, then got down on his knee. He looked up at me smiling and said, “Will you marry me?” I barely looked at the ring before I started ugly-crying. I managed to get the word “Yes” out before crouching down and hugging him. Poor guy was still kneeling on the rocks though, so I got up and he put the ring on my finger before standing. I finally got a good look at the ring and could not believe how beautiful it was. He designed the whole thing to be exactly what I wanted and even asked my sister for help.
After He Proposed
After I said yes, I found out that he spent time on Google Maps looking for that long lost turn-off. He looked at all the Domino’s in the area that were located near bridges. Once he found the spot, he found the Airbnb located nearby in Beaufort. Needless to say, Harker’s Island was all a ploy, we were never going there. My sister and him let me believe that we just happened upon our spot. Turns out, Pat asked my father for his permission months ago and spent time planning the perfect proposal. He recruited my sister to document the whole thing. I don’t know how my family was able to hide the plan so well.
We immediately told our friends and family he proposed, sharing the photos and video of the proposal. We also wanted to wait before making the big announcement on social media so we could enjoy the rest of our vacation, and not be on our phones the entire time. This was the time to enjoy our engagement before wedding planning commences. We spent the next few days kayaking, swimming, and eating breakfast on the deck. We biked all over downtown Beaufort, did some souvenir shopping, and watched more beautiful sunsets. On our last day, we drove to Emerald Isle and spent a couple of hours swimming in the ocean and collecting seashells.
The Vlog
I put together a video of the whole thing, so please be sure to check that out here. S/O to my sister who snapped all the photos and vlogged the whole thing for us!
xo,
