Joe and I were living our busy lives, trying to balance work, home, family and friends (not very successfully, most of the time). Joe had been insisting for a while that we find a weekend to get away, and the lull between Christmas and New Year’s became a last resort.
We planned a trip to nearby Lake Geneva. We spent the morning after Christmas relaxing and getting ready to leave. I had no idea that morning that Joe found a moment to share his proposal plans with my father, and ask for his blessing (so cute!)
We headed up to The Abbey Resort at Lake Geneva for a weekend of relaxation. The resort was in full holiday décor mode, which made this off-peak destination extra cozy. We enjoyed cookies and cider in the lobby, and made our way to our room.
My sister and her fiancée, Alex, had given Joe a bottle of Four Roses whiskey as a Christmas gift, which we smuggled in with us (no outside alcohol allowed), and enjoyed a small glass of before heading to dinner.
We ate at the resort’s newest restaurant, 240 West, and had a fantastic seafood dinner. While we ate, we enjoyed the romantic view of couples on the patio below, roasting marshmallows at a wintery, outdoor fireplace. We decided that the following night, we should partake in the s’mores ritual.
The next day we started off with room service and then a trip to the spa. After massages, and relaxing at the pool, taking in a panoramic view of the wooded property, we went back to the room to get ready for the evening.
We ordered wine and cheese (hey, when you only go away for a couple of weekends a year, might as well go for broke!) and I took my time getting pretty.
We had no agenda, so we started our venture by visiting art and antique shops, gathering treasures and restaurant recommendations. We got just what we were looking for when one of the shop owners recommended “the best restaurant in town,” Medusa – a modern, Mediterranean Seafood restaurant that honestly blew us away.
After stuffing ourselves nearly to death, we headed to The Baker House to continue indulging in some classic cocktails. We had the best Manhattan and Old Fashioned we have ever had, and have been trying to replicate at home ever since.
We were having such a good time, we almost forgot about our s‘mores agenda. We eventually rushed back to the Abbey, only to find that the s’mores had run out early, leaving the fire pit deserted for us to enjoy by ourselves.
It was a mild night for December, and between the warmth of the fire, and our bellies full of spirits, it was easy to sit outside. We stared at the fire, shared fond memories, and felt very at peace. I was sure that this perfect weekend was coming to a perfect end, until Joe got off the bench, and onto one knee. It’s hard to remember what he said (mostly because I was laughing and crying so much I couldn’t even hear him – I was 100% surprised) but between the ring and his pose, I at least understood what was happening. He did have to remind me to say “yes,” but I think he knew my answer before he even asked.
We were alone outside, but a group dining in the restaurant above (where we had sat the night before) had seen us, and guessed from my reaction that we had just gotten engaged. They were so kind to send the bartender down with two glasses of champagne. Such clever and thoughtful people; we’ll have to pay that one forward someday. We finished our champagne, talked and laughed some more, and eventually headed back to our room.
I think I must have slept for one hour that night; we hadn’t told anyone about our engagement yet, and decided to keep it quiet so we could tell as many of our family members in person as we could. In hindsight, I really loved that brief time when only he and I were in on this delicious secret. We got up Sunday morning, had brunch, suppressed our sense of urgency enough to hit a local winery, and headed back to my parents.’
My mom is still mad at me for not telling her about our engagement right away, but her reaction to putting the pieces together on her own was priceless. My dad knew all along, but was glad to know everything went as planned.
*more champagne*
We spent the next week making the rounds to all of our immediate family. (Champagne, champagne, and more champagne.) It was very tough to contain our happy news, but getting to enjoy everyone’s individual reactions in person was truly priceless, and something I will never forget.
I think the fact that Joe wants to marry me AT ALL is very special. I am in awe of the fact that he took the time to plan a memorable, unique and intimate proposal that was absolutely perfect for us. Now we're hard at work planning a memorable, unique, and intimate wedding to share with all of you!
See you August 22nd!
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