Tiffany's Proposal {wedding week}

Hi there! I am so thrilled to be featured here at Let Them Eat Cake! Isn't Rebecca just the best?! I'm Tiffany and I blog over at Little Gems. I blog mostly about life as a young wife, new mommy, registered nurse and etsy shop owner. I'd love for you to hop over and say hi!

Let's get started here. I jumped at the chance to tell mine and my husbands love story....after all...

Ours is a story worth telling.

When people ask me how long my husband and I have been together I can't help but giggle. I usually just satisfy them with the appropriate answer of how long we have been married. That answer is 5 years. Some or a few are curious and want to know the whole story. Here you go.

1994. When I was a young girl, probably 6-7 years old I attended a church that was pastored by a wonderful man and his family. This family had 3 sons and 1 daughter. The youngest son was named Jonathan. At this point I was more interested in Barbie dolls and building forts (yes both) than in boys. I more often than not had skinned knees and unbrushed hair. So if Jonathan noticed me it was to notice that I needed a good grooming. Eventually this family moved to another state and that was that. Or was it?

2002. Fast forward. Jonathan is now a graduating senior from high school and I am a blossoming 14 year old, much improved in appearance from my fort building days. He decided to spread his wings a bit and move back to Georgia and the town that his dad used to pastor in. He still had many friends and some family in those parts. We were reintroduced when he was asked to speak at a church youth gathering at said church. I remember sitting in my seat, watching this good looking, confident young guy speak passionately about Jesus and I knew my life was about to change. I was instantly smitten. When I ask Jonathan if it was the same for him he just says he noticed my lips and hair and was smitten with those...not exactly the same but we'll go with it. So I like him, he likes me. Perfect. Happily ever after...

Oh wait. Small problem. I'm 14 years old. I am the 14 year old daughter of a cautious, loving, protective, all up in your business, yeah right, dad. When asked at what age I may start dating, he replies "When you are mature enough to handle it". Needless to say he was not so gung ho about my newfound puppy love. And no, I wasn't mature enough yet. I asked.

No dating

No being alone

No talking on the phone for more than 30 minutes

...you get the picture.

Cue 3 years worth of letter writing, secret hand holding, MSN instant messaging (remember this thing?), using any excuse to go to church (the one place we could be together), riding in the backseat of my parents car with my little brother in the middle....

2004. Finally when I was 17 years old and a few months shy of graduating high school and on Jonathan's 20th birthday. We went on our first, official, ALONE, no joke date! I remember how strange it felt to sit in his car and not have to worry about getting in trouble. We enjoyed a movie (Lemony Snickets) and Applebee's where he paid for my food. We held hands in public the whole day gleefully. We had served our time and God bless that man for waiting patiently and sometimes not so patiently. I realize how rare it is. Most 17 year old guys when told they will have to wait 3-4 years to simply "go on a date", would say, ok see ya. He says I was worth the wait. He also says I "owe him" for waiting.

We both knew this was the real deal, even at such young ages. I can honestly say that at 16 I knew who I was going to marry.

When I was 19 Jonathan went to my father to ask permission to marry me. He gave his blessing. Now because we can't keep secrets from each other I knew this was happening as it was happening. I had been obsessively ring shopping for awhile, anytime we were in the mall we always went to look at rings. I would try them on, admire them, and then give them back. Well now that we had the official blessing I went a little crazy. We planned a trip to North Georgia to "visit his parents", but really to buy an engagement ring from the Mall of Georgia. We agreed it would be best to go together to make the official purchase. I was ok with this even though it took some of the surprise away.

March 17th, 2007 The weekend arrived and we set off, along with my parents. We were spending the first part of the trip with them at a buyer’s market/show type thing. They own a clothing store and we would often make these trips with them to help them pick stuff out for the store. This show date just happened to fall the same weekend we were going on our little excursion. We spent the morning and early afternoon at the buyer’s market then we decided to do a little extra shopping with my parents at Phipps Plaza. We had a leisurely afternoon, shopping and drinking Starbucks and then the plan was for us to part ways with my parents and for us to make our way to his parent’s house which was an hour or 2 drive.

Us on the day we got engaged, before I had a clue.

When the time came for this to happen I remember things started to get a little strange. All of the sudden my parents got in their car without saying goodbye. I was baffled, why wouldn't they say goodbye? Were they mad? Where are we driving? This isn't the way to your parent’s house. Why are you following them? Where are we going? Why aren't you answering me? I thought we were going to Olive Garden. Is there an Olive Garden this way? Answer me! ....and so on and so forth. I battered poor Jonathan with questions and got madder and madder because he wouldn't answer any of them.

We finally pulled into an empty parking garage in downtown Atlanta and parked beside my parent’s car. I was fuming. Jonathan turned to me and all he said was "We're not going to Olive Garden ok?” It was at this point that I became aware of what was happening. I got out of the car slowly and walked to where my mom and dad were standing near the trunk with a hanging garment bag and an overnight bag.

"You knew?"

They both grinned

Apparently my dad knew where we were going because he led the way, bags in hand. He led us both up to a nice building with even nicer restrooms where I was handed my garment bag and another bag which I could now see was full of shoes, jewelry, makeup and hair supplies and told to go change. I entered with my mom and came out a transformed woman, dressed to the nines in a black dress that my mom and sister had secretly packed for me. Jonathan too came out in a tie and jacket and I knew. This was it. This was happening. But I convinced myself as we walked to the elevator that took us 72 stories above Atlanta to a fancy restaurant that there was no way he had a ring. He was just going to propose without one. Because we planned this trip to buy a ring right? He couldn't have picked a ring without me.

We enjoyed an amazingly romantic meal, breathtaking views. The restaurant spinned while we ate so we got a view of the sunset from every angle. Simply amazing. At one point the waiter brought me a dessert that I had not ordered. He said compliments of the house. I found out later that it was supposed to be a celebratory dessert. He thought Jonathan had already proposed. This still makes me laugh. The waiter recovered nicely and I never suspected otherwise.

After dinner Jonathan took me to viewing area overlooking the city, got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife. He proceeded to pull a ring box from his coat pocket. He had had it for weeks. This whole weekend had been a setup and everyone knew but me. The truth is I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

I love that he chose my ring by himself. I love that he set the whole weekend up I love that he is the only man I've ever kissed, I love that I am the only girl he's ever loved, I love that we were both virgins when we got married, I just love us.