Jason & Veronica

How They Met

Veronica and I met while at work. I had just transferred into the Open Heart Unit & Veronica was hired as a surgical traveler. She took care of our robotic, surgical department. Her team was sent to my cardiac unit to help us prepare for the mornings surgery. I had met most of her team prior to this fateful day & was taken back by her appearance, at first glance. I didn’t think much about it, in fact, I wasn’t even looking for someone to date; neither was she. There was just something about her, something I couldn’t put my finger on. I had continued to see her over the next few days and would take opportunities to talk with her. There wasn’t much flirting between us and our talks were casual but I remember feeling so comfortable around her. I found out later, that she also experienced this comfort with me.

As if we knew each other before and were catching up on an old friendship. After that week, I didn’t see her anymore. She was soon assigned to a department, on a different floor. Our paths wouldn’t cross either. The hospital is of substantial size and neither of us had reasons to leave our departments. In fact, it would be three months before we saw each other again. Over those three months I would think about her, keeping her in the back of my mind. I told myself, if I did see her again I would ask her out….I was missing her (and didn’t realize it). Finally the day came, we both were really excited to see one another. Way more energetic to see one another than ever before! We both said hello, and she immediately commented on a new tattoo I just added. I was very surprised she even noticed. The tattoo wasn’t in an obvious location. I knew then, I had to make my move.

I asked for her number immediately and we met up later that evening. I was actually driving home that same night and decided to ask her to dinner. Veronica obliged, that first date turned into the first day of the rest of our lives. I say this, not as a cliché, but in a literal sense. We didn’t leave each other’s sides after that day. I would see her every day after, and within a month or two, she was moving in. Two years later, we were engaged in New Orleans.

The Proposal

The idea for the proposal came after watching her favorite TV show, The Bachelor. In this episode, there was a one-on-one date which took place in New Orleans! She had mentioned how much fun it would be to go on a date in a new city. How exciting it would be to be proposed too and have it documented while exploring this historical town. Things like that don’t usually get recorded. Soon after, we decided to take a vacation to NOLA. We would be celebrating my birthday and sharing the experience of being in New Orleans for the first time. I didn’t plan to get engaged on this trip, at first. I knew I wanted to marry her but didn’t have a date in mind. Something persuaded me to look into what NOLA had to offer. I immediately came across Project Proposal NOLA!! It seemed meant to be. Stacey was offering every bit of magic The Bachelor portrayed about finding love in NOLA. Not to mention, I could even have a photographer documenting this momentous occasion; I could totally plan it, without Veronica knowing!!

The common denominator between Veronica and I is music. We both share a love for seeing live shows whenever we can. Stacey was able to combine The Bachelor and our love for music perfectly! The proposal took place at Longue Vue House and Gardens, which actually was the setting for an episode of the The Bachelor. The grounds were stunning!

When we arrived at the home, Stacey greeted us and pretended to be an employee of the venue. She directed us to the gardens where we were able to do a bit of exploring. We walked along a curved pathway that led us to a secluded spot of the gardens. As we approached the brick garden house and pond, our favorite song begin to play. Veronica was drawn to the music and it led her to the inside of the garden house where a beautiful display was waiting just for us. Amongst a retro record player and musical accents, our pictures were placed on vinyl album covers that we perfectly placed around the display. It was such an incredible moment that Veronica couldn’t say NO!

The Engagement Ring

I knew I had my work cut out for me, buying the ring. I equated it to being as stressful as, buying a car!! I knew nothing about diamonds. I wanted to make my first and only engagement to be very special. Veronica and I had talked about marriage before. We even fantasized about our ideal weddings. She had casually mentioned that she would love a vintage designed ring. Something simple, not ornate, just classic. She loves to wear rose gold & always wanted a ring made with that color. She only really liked the classic round diamonds, or a square cut. After asking around I went to the nearest International Diamond Center, this is where I bought the ring. It is a special order ring, custom designed by A. Jaffe to have a vintage look & made entirely of rose gold. It took about a month for the ring to arrive.

Photo Credit: Hi Volts Studios

Proposal Planner : Project Proposal NOLA