This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx on behalf of ClubLife Weddings.
As I am writing this, we are currently 3 days from our wedding!!!! It’s been over 2 years since our engagement and it’s finally here. It’s truly been a long time coming. January 18th, we celebrated our 7 years of dating anniversary and 2 years of being engaged. I figured maybe it was time to finally tell you guys how he asked! Warning… it’s a long one!
Fall 2018, Hunter let it slip that he bought a ring for me during a convo. That was my first sign that the proposal was coming! Fast forward to New Years Eve, he slipped up again saying that he was originally wanting to propose that night but it wasn’t in the cards. Some of the people he wanted there would have been out of town! Bummer.
I work with my Dad at our small family business. A few weeks before our anniversary in January, I was checking the caller ID to see what calls we missed for the day. Oddly, I saw Hunter called the store not long before I got to work. No clue why he didn’t call my Dad’s cell. But I suspected he must have been calling him to ask for permission to marry me! That’s when I really knew it was happening soon. I kept that to myself.
The week of our anniversary, Hunter insisted that we go get our nails done together. We did end up going and he did pay for everything hehe. He never gets his nails done, let alone with me. If that wasn’t a dead giveaway, I don’t know what is. He also told me that we were going somewhere special for our 5 year anniversary, but said the location was a surprise.
Saturday is here, our anniversary, and I was a wreck. It took me forever to figure out what to wear and I couldn’t have been more nervous. He eventually took me to the NYLO Hotel in Dallas where he had planned for us to have some drinks on the rooftop before heading to dinner. When we got there, the front desk told us the rooftop lounge was closed due to bad weather. The day before, there were CRAZY tornado-like winds that actually picked up some of their patio furniture up there and broke some of the glass windows.
I could see in his eyes he was FREAKING OUT, so I went to the restroom to give him some time to figure it out (at this point, he still didn’t know I knew the proposal was coming.) The manager told Hunter she would escort us up there for a quick drink and gave us complimentary champagne.
Once we made it out to the rooftop terrace, the wind was out of control and it was so stinking cold. We spent some time talking and taking in the beautiful skyline view, all while freezing our booties off. He dropped down on one knee and asked me to marry him, and of course, I said YES! One of his best friends is a photographer and was secretly taking photos the whole time! Thankfully, I have tons of pictures to remember the amazing moment.
The story still isn’t over yet! We left to go to dinner and I truly thought that was it and wasn’t expecting anything else at this point. But of course, as soon as we stepped out of our Uber, I saw my parents walking into the restaurant at the same time. Poor Hunter, another surprise ruined hahaha. We made our way up to the rooftop terrace and were greeted with loud cheers and clapping from our family and friends. It was the sweetest (almost) surprise, after knowing the whole time that he would be proposing. One thing is for sure, I’ll remember this day for the rest of my life, hiccups and all!
Fast forward to where we are now, planning this wedding has been tough. To all the brides that have had to plan a wedding around Covid-19, I see you, I hear you, and I feel you! The best advice I have to offer is to stay organized, prepare and plan early, and try to lower your expectations if you decide to have your wedding during this pandemic. There may be some disappointments, tears, and hardships along the way, but just know that you’re not alone. If you need any advice or have questions, feel free to drop them in the comments below!
Another piece of advice: if you haven’t found a venue yet, that should be the first priority! Be sure to ask the ones you reach out to about their Covid-19 protocols and cancellation policies as well! If you’re a DFW bride, I recently found out about Clublife Weddings and love their Dallas venues! You can check out these three that are gorgeous here in DFW: Gleneagles Country Club, Stonebriar Country Club and Brookhaven Country Club. Each of these are so unique!
They actually have 200+ unique venues nationwide and you don’t have to be a club member to host an event! While we had already booked our venue elsewhere early last year, I wish I had looked into their venues sooner. They even have a wedding calculator on their website that I wish I had for my wedding! It’s so easy and gives you a detailed estimate on costs at your local Clublife venue. You can check it out here on their website and their Instagram here!
Thanks for ready my (very long) engagement story and be sure to come back for more on our wedding planning tips and experiences!
xo,
N