She Said YES! Part IV

As we sat down we were greeting by the manager. He welcomed us and brought us champagne and a tasting of chocolates. Once we devoured these I suggested we purchase some to take home. G, although perplexed, thought it was a great idea. We drank a few sips of champagne and then went up to the counter to pick out our chocolates to go. There was a wide assortment to choose from so we delicately chose our favorites. The manager said he would package them and bring them over. We went back to our seats and continued to talk and sip the bubbly.

The manager delivered the heart-shaped box which included some forty individual chocolates and in the middle was THE RING! We both looked at the box and commented on how pretty it was and were both content on bringing them home for another day. After all, we had already eaten several chocolates up to this point. BUT, I said that I wanted one more for "the road." And opened the box! I looked inside and pushed it towards G showing her what was inside, she gasped and could not speak a word. I rose up and went over to her side of the table, took the ring from the box and bent on one knee. It was then I asked her to be my wife and to merry me (or something to that effect).

She of course said yes and we kissed and hug and everyone in the place cheered. I yelled, "She said YES!" We continued to take pictures and drink our champagne. Of course I let her know what I did and that the whole thing had been planned. She loved it and in true G fashion was "upset" that she knew nothing about it. I told her that was the idea.

A few people came up to us to congratulate us including a women that is on the local evening news and on the radio. She later tweeted of the nights activities.

We bought another bottle of champaigne for later and to remember the night.

And that is the story of how I got engaged!

She Said YES! Part III

Saturday morning I woke with excitement. G was enjoying her first Saturday "off" after being in retail for so long. She decided to sleep in and do some things around the house. I "went to the gym" i.e. haircut and Petit Phillipe. I actually did try to go for a run but it was kind of wet from a late night rain and a little wet outside. I think I ran about two blocks. I almost stopped in Selwyn Pub for a beer as I "ran" by. After this I went to get a haircut but was a little early for my appointment since I didn't go to the gym or run. So I stopped by Caribou Coffee and ordered a hot chocolate and read a Garden & Gun I had in the car.

I arrived back home around 3:00. I really wasn't outwardly nervous but inside I was a ball of nerves. I kept thinking that "everything has got to go perfect, to pull this off." G was watching t.v. and relaxing, I kept throwing hints about how I wanted to leave around 5:30 so we could take our time at dinner and enjoy ourselves. Well, in true G fashion, we didn't leave til close to 7:00. I was freaking out! But I had to keep my cool and play the role that "this is just another dinner date" and that we are not under any time constraints. BUT WE WERE! We had to arrive at Petit Phillipe by 8:45 since they close at 9:00. How were we going to eat, relax and leave the restaurant in an hour?

Oh, and before I continue with the events of the night, as we were getting ready to leave I decide that I want to wear a nice pair of pants, try and dress up a little bit, since I am getting ENGAGED tonight. BUT apparently I am "overdressed" according to little miss fashionista. I can't believe I had to wear jeans on the (up to this point) most important night of my life.

Anyway, we get to Good Food on Montford around 7:15 and they tell us there is a 45 minute wait. OK, so that would leave us barely an hour to eat and then we had to travel to Petit Phillipe. This was a no brainer, "let's go somewhere else" I proclaimed, G agreed and we did. We went next door to Braswell's Premium Pub. It has mostly bar food and beer, which I needed at this point. It isn't as nice or memorable as I have heard Good Food is but it would have to do. We had trouble finding a part due to so many spots being for this restaurant or that restaurant only but fortunately we didn't have to move to car. Sadly, Charlotte is a city that towes first and asks later. So we ate, relaxed and had a few drinks. We were off to Phillips by 8:20. Perfect time to get in the door but the trip over was a close call.

Remember when I said that my mother and her mother were the only ones who knew about my plans? Well my mother decides to call G's phone on the way over. I thought she was calling to congratulate us and with me driving and since it was not my phone ringing I had no way to prevent this possibly disasterous course of events.

So there we were, this whole thing could be blown in a matter of seconds but luckily, my mother, who had no idea what was happening or when the actual proposal would take place other than after dinner at a wine and chocolate place was only calling to say hello. SURE?

Ok, so as we get out of the car, G's phone rings again and this time its her mom. This was perfect though, I left her outside and went ahead in. It gave me the time to settle some last minute details. Everything was in place; the manager, the conspicous photographer and our off-set table in the back. I was greeted and shown the table, I sit down and in walks G with a smile on her face, saying "oh this is a nice table, its away from everyone and quiet." A bunch of people were up front enjoying some wine and tunes.

More to come................

She Said YES! Part II

Continued..... I couldn't stop thinking about the wonderful opportunity I stumbled upon and what possiblities Saturday night would bring. Ideas kept popping in my head. One of them was to hire a photog to capture the moment. All day Tuesday I was on the phone with a friend who now lives in NYC. He gave me the name of an amatuar photographer who could take pictures of the event. I made an additional trip Thursday night to continue to brainstorm with Dylan about the details and to meet up with the photographer. The three of us talked at length about how the night would go. I told Shawn the photographer to act like he was there that night to take pictures for Petit Phillipe's website. Dylan loved the idea. Dylan also already had a roundtop table and two chairs in the back where we would sit.
The idea would be to have us come in at 8:45 p.m. (they close at 9:00 but if there are customers then they stay open). Remember it is a wine and chocolate shop not a wine bar but they don't want customers to feel rushed and to taste their products and have a great time.
We would then be greeted by Dylan and offered the table and sit down. He would then offer us some complimentary assorted chocolate (about 3 pieces each) and 2 glasses of champagne from a bottle that I had previously purchased.  We would then sit and talk and relax and of course enjoy the chocolates and champagne. Soon after I would order a box of chocolates to "take home." The box was a heart shaped box that they were using for the following Saturday's Valentines Day. So I pre-purchased it as well. We decided to have the ring sit in the middle of the box surrounded by chocolates all on a Reeses Pieces type paper and the ring sitting on shredded red paper. Once ordered and  placed in front of me I would then suggest that we go ahead and have another chocolate from the box before leaving. After opening it, I would turn the box around and pushed it towards her before proposing. My next post will pick up on the Saturday morning of the proposal.

She Said YES! Part I

Two Saturdays ago was the time. It felt right and I was ready. The plan was to invite G out to dinner to celelebrate her new job. This was a great cover up I thought, she would have no idea that I would propose. It would be the last thing on her mind. Earlier that week, on Monday, I left work around 2:30 to visit the restaurant where I would propose, actually it was just dessert. I had spent weeks researching menus, driving distances and locations to get this night perfect. Butt to be honest, a restaurant is the last place I ever wanted to propose. It is cliche and almost never provides the desired level of subtlety and antmosphere needed for such an event. My initial goal was to propose outside but the weather would not allow it. Either way I made the reservation for 10:30. At the time it was (just) a good plan, 300 East has a terrific menu and an even better dessert menu. It is in a great neighborhood and somewhat romantic but still a restaurant. As I scoped the place out, moving about with the hostess throwing around ideas and deciding where we would sit I thought, "this will have to do because I am tired and can't think of anything better!"

Great, now I am done with this part, on to the details. We can have dinner somewhere, then catch a movie or a play and off to 300 for dessert and the MAIN EVENT. That was the plan! After I left I decided to go and check out this new fish market I'd heard about on Selwyn Avenue near Queens University in the Dilworth neighborhood of Charlotte. They were closed but next door was this wine shop and I always enjoy visiting wine shops. But there was more. In addition to wine they had chocolate and not just any chocolate, home made artisinal chocolate by a French trained chef who actually developed the idea for this shop the on the same trip to France when she got engaged. Its called Petit Phillipe. This would now become the place where I would propose. Of course I had not idea about this as I entered the shop for the first time, then I met Dylan, the manager........Part 2 to come later!

new (and final) post to come soon

i owe you "loyal" viewers an ending and you soon will get one. but then i will sign off forever and delete my blog...here is a hint "she said yes"

Thinking ahead but also reflecting back!

The post below is a list, an ever changing, ever evolving list of songs and artists that will be played at our wedding. Some our mine and others are songs that G has always wanted at her wedding. She even knows what she wants us to have our first dance to and I think what song she wants to dance with her father. Some are songs and artist that we have discovered since meeting. I have always wanted to write down these songs so we can hand a piece of paper with request to the DJ or however we decide to handle the music at the wedding. Relax and enjoy! This should be a wild ride taking us all through several decades of music.

Infinite Playlist

KC and The Sunshine Band
Boogie Shoes
Melanie
Brand New Key-Roller Skate Song
Florence and The Machine
Dog Days Are Over
Van Morrison
Brown Eyed Girl
Tupelo Honey
Into the Mystic
The Swell Season
Falling Slowly
Once
Marvin Gaye
Sexual Healing
Old Crow Medicine Show
Wagon Wheel
Rolling Stones
Moonlight Mile
Dave Matthews Band
One Sweet World
Ray LaMontagne
I go all to Pieces
Trouble
Rusted Root
Send Me on My Way
Ben Harper
Steal My Kisses