How They Met

How was it that they met? Well it must have been in the mid-90s when they were both in high school. Neither one remembers the exact moment, but they had mutual friends and had both worked at the mall. They grew up living just one town apart. Although their paths had crossed many times and they both hung in the same circles, they remained acquaintances.

They both spent the next 13 years making memories and living life to the fullest. It wasn’t until July 2009 that Julian came across Andrea’s contact information online. Julian, just returning from spending a year in Iraq with the Army, was thankfully home getting settled. He quickly decided to go back to school and move to NYC. Andrea, living in New York for more than five years, was more than happy to hear from Julian. They quickly caught up via email and, since they both worked in the city, decided to meet for a drink one night. That one drink turned into hours of conversation. The night ended and neither one of them knew what the future held. Both of them did know they had reconnected with someone very special!

The weeks to follow included lots of time together and getting to know each other better. Why did Julian sign up for the Army? What lead Andrea to New York? What paths lead them to the jobs they held? They shared stories of hurdles they had overcame. They talked about the things they dreamed of for the future. Weeks turned into months and they both realized that something special was happening. A relationship, like no other they had known, was growing. Before they knew it they were booking their first trip together to Martha’s Vineyard.

For her, it was the optimistic way Julian saw things. He put a different perspective on people and life. She felt he made her a better person. She truly admired and respected the man he was! For Andrea, she felt her life had come full circle. She felt at home. She knew, without a doubt, he was the person that she was going to grow old with. For Julian, this relationship was very different from any he had ever experienced before. Julian had found such a caring and compassionate person. Andrea seemed to compliment Julian perfectly. He knew that Andrea was truly an amazing person and knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. With time their relationship developed and they became closer. This past summer, they moved in together and vacationed in Italy. Everything seemed to be falling into place. They started to dream about starting a family and all the wonderful memories they hoped to make together.

The Proposal

On the Friday before Andrea’s birthday, Julian called and asked her if she was interested in going to dinner. It was Restaurant Week in New York, and Julian used that as an excuse to get her to a romantic restaurant in the West Village. He planned carefully knowing how she always tried to avoid surprises! Andrea had a very full weekend planned for her birthday; he didn’t want to give her any indication that the proposal was coming. Unfortunately, she had already planned to run some errands after work on Friday and complained that she wasn’t dressed for dinner. Julian persisted and Andrea ultimately agreed to meet him after work. Julian picked her up on his way to the restaurant and a beautiful night began.

When they walked into the restaurant, they were immediately in awe of how beautiful it was! One if by Land, Two if by Sea is known for being one of the most romantic restaurants in the city. A piano player filled the room with romantic music and the fireplace and floral arrangements created the perfect setting for an engagement. They sat at a small table overlooking the snow-filled courtyard and enjoyed an amazing candlelight dinner. When it came time for dessert, Julian handed the engagement ring to the waiter who agreed to bring the ring out on a silver platter filled with rose petals. As the night came to a close, they shared a special and intimate talk. When the ring was delivered by the manager, Julian got on one knee and asked Andrea to be his wife. Although in shock at first, Andrea kissed him and agreed to marry him.

The remainder of the weekend was a series of birthday celebrations and surprise engagement announcements. This by far was her favorite birthday….all thanks to her fiancé! Now they are enjoying being an engaged couple and looking forward to celebrating on October 15th, 2011.

The Engagement Ring

I love my setting, that it is tasteful, delicate and really allows the center solitaire stone to shine. My fiance did a perfect job!