Holiday Cheer

Everywhere I turn I'm surrounded by newly engaged couples, probably because the holidays always seem like the perfect time to pop the question and celebrate the happy news with friends and family. If you're beginning to plan for what will likely be the biggest party you'll ever throw, one great way to get started is to look into bridal events in your area. If you happen to be in New York City on January 26, look no further than the Wedding Party, a super-informative, one-stop-shopping event we at Martha Stewart Weddings are hosting with our friends at the Wedding Library. You'll meet the city's top wedding vendors—everyone from event designer Preston Bailey to gown designer Reem Acra, plus photographers, cake designers, and florists—all under one roof. And if you can't join us, by all means tune in to The Martha Show on January 18th, where designers Mark Badgley and James Mischka of Badgley-Mischka fame will unveil their newest wedding styles. Plus, we'll be revealing all our best tips from the latest issue of our magazine. Speaking of sharing, if you have a great story about how you were proposed to, I'd love to hear it!

Click on the invite to view full-size.

Comments

[Claudia Hanlin]

Hi Darcy,
Thanks for the write up! Just so your readers know, we are having a silent auction with the most amazing offers: a trip to South Africa, a Ron Ben Israel cake, a diamond wedding band and more. It's going to be a great event and we are so excited to be doing it with you!

[Rebecca Wood]

Hi Darcy,

I have a lovely engagement story for you. Catherine Lash, at the Wedding Co. here in toronto covered the story a few weeks back. We recently had our wedding in November. I think you will especially love the shot of my daughter's bare bum under my dress!
If you have time... here is the link:
http://www.theweddingco.com/thisweek/?p=168

BTW... I love your style and all that you have brought to MSW!!!

As a wedding photographer... I am always inspired. www.rebeccawoodphotography.com

Thank You.
Rebecca Wood

[Shelly Bittler]

I have a cute little engagement story :)

This past June while I was in Bermuda with my family, my boyfriend bought me an engagement ring and the same day told me via-telephone that he didn't think he ever wanted to get married. Naturally, I was pretty upset....so we fought about it a lot for a few weeks. Then we went to Hilton Head, SC and had a wonderful adventure jet-skiing with dolphins. We had a beautiful romantic dinner at the Olde Fort Pub, which is an amazing waterfront restaurant, and he INSISTED on rushing to see the lighthouse (which I had been most excited about). I grew up at the beach and have always been in love with the romance and hope that lighthouses have.
Once we got to the top...he managed to shuffle me around to the perfect spot, and spun me around from the gorgeous view to show me a lovely little robin's egg blue box and ask me to marry him!
I was SHOCKED...based on the conversation we had a few weeks prior...which he had only started so I would be completely surprised.

Of course, I said yes.
Our wedding is on March 8 in the village chapel on Bald Head Island, NC (next to the Old Baldy lighthouse, of course!), and is based on the pink and poppy story from one of your summer issues. I only hope we can come CLOSE to the elegance and fun of all of the weddings and ideas you create! My dream is to have an effortless looking chic and fun Martha-wedding :)

[Sarah]

Here's our holiday engagement story!

As a Christmas gift last year, Nick took me for a spa getaway in the small town of Snoqualmie in the Cascade Mountains. We arrived at the beautiful Salish Lodge and Spa, which overlooked spectacular waterfalls. We enjoyed heated stone massages, followed by a romantic fireside dinner at the lodge. After dinner, the waiter suggested a walk into the park to view the lit waterfall at night. As soon as we stepped outside, it started pouring rain, and we ran gleefully to the observation deck for shelter. Once there, we realized that we were completely soaked, and started laughing hysterically. The waterfall was gorgeous, and it was an absolutely perfect setting for a proposal. Nick got down on one knee, took my hand, and popped the question. And, of course, I said yes!

Our wedding is planned for Fort Belvoir, VA in July 2008.

[Bridget Coulter]

Hi Darcy!

Here's my wedding story for you! My fiance and I have had a great love for wine and are members of the Swanson Winery in Napa Valley. We went up this August for a Bon Vivant Dinner at Clarke and Elizabeth Swanson's house in Oakville, CA. The party was outside in their back yard surrounded by the vines with a beautiful setting sun! Conrad stood up after dinner, played our favorite song, "Feeling Good" by Micheal Buble (on his cell phone that he had downloaded!) and proposed! Clarke Swanson toasted us with Champagne and we celebrated with everyone, lots of delicious wine and danced the night away under the stars!

We will be getting married on October 4, 2008 in the Berkshires (where I am from) at the Lenox Club, Lenox, MA. Our colors are black and white (a flocked, damask pattern) with splashes of red. It will be whimsical but with a New England elegance!

[Armin]

I'm so glad I found your blog through Something Old, Something New and Wedding Wire. My brides will really love your blog so I'm adding it to my blogroll! Thank you!!

[jessamyn harris]

What a fantastic blog! I'm a wedding photographer near SF, and am just hoping that soon you will bring a "Wedding Party" kind of touch to the West Coast - I can tell it will be like nothing else available!

[Shana]

I just found a company that does beautiful, classically styled invitations in a slightly modern style. They're online at paperdollsdesign.com. Just wanted to share!

[Helen]

Hi Darcy,

My wonderful boyfriend took me to paris as a suprise four years ago for my 21st birthday. Last December for my 25th birthday and to celebrate my graduation from university he told me he was takng me to london. When we got to the airport I found out we were actually going to paris. (Lots of tears and shrieking) On the night of my birthday we went for a dinner cruise down the seine, (another suprise) as we went past the eiffel tower - he proposed. We are getting married at christmas this year - I cant wait. He could have proposed to me at the chip shop and I would have said yes. Good luck to everyone getting married this year all the best for the future.

[Dianne]

Hi Darcy,

Here's my proposal story for you. I work at an after school program for at risk youth it had been our christmas dinner with all the children that evening so when I got home I was pretty exausted my boyfried Mike asked me to go for a walk even though it was -21 degrees celsious. After some hesitation I agreed to go once outside he blindfolded me and took me to the back yard. He took off the blindfold got on one knee and in very large letters spray painted on the snow was Will You Marry Me surrounded by candels it was very romantic. We are getting married February 14 (Valentines Day) 2009. In Sudbury Ontario Canada. We are having a winter wonderland themed wedding full of ice blue shimmering snowflakes and glisening silver. Love your blog and all your advice thanks.

[Angel]

I'm very happy to share my proposal story! My new husband-to-be is a pilot, currently in training with the U.S. Air Force. The evening of January 1, we drove out to a local rural airport. Walks at the airport are a favorite date for us. Unfortunately the proposal didn't go quite as planned - both the Georgia State Patrol and a city police officer interrupted our walk! They were just doing their jobs, making sure we weren't up to no good!

After speaking with the law enforcement, my boyfriend then walked me out onto the taxiway. It was cold, but the air was clear and the stars were twinkling. He asked me what my resolutions for 2008 are, and I told him. I asked was his are, and he said "to make this year even better than the last." I asked how he was going to do that and he dropped to his knee and said, "By asking you to be my wife. Will you be my wife?" I forgot to say "yes" in all of the excitement of the moment. But, through my hugs and kisses, he figured out my answer. I could not have asked for a more beautiful proposal

[Megan]

My engagement story is kind of funny, actually.

My boyfriend and I were at his parents house, lounging around the living room one Saturday afternoon in April. We had both fallen asleep for a little while on the floor, and about 20 minutes into my nap, I woke up and realized that Josh was not lying next to me. Thinking he had gone to the bathroom, I closed my eyes again for about 30 seconds until he returned. He was standing behind an armchair, and while this seemed a little odd, I didn't give it much thought. Half-asleep,he asked me to get up. After several protests, I got up and he said this:

"Megan, a week after we started dating I knew you were very special. A couple of weeks later, I knew I loved you. And in less than a month, I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you..."

At this point, a single tear came down his cheek--and all I could think was "Something really serious is going on!!! What's wrong?!?!"

He continued, while lowering to his knee, "Will you marry me?"

I'm not even sure I said yes until after we hugged and kissed, but I didn't cry until he told me that he had the ring for 3 weeks before that!

We are getting married September 26th, 2009!!!

[Meghan Whinnery]

I need some etiquette advice for an engagement announcement in the local paper. This is a 2nd marriage for me, and I never changed my name back to my maiden name. So, in the announcement and the new wedding invites, do I announce myself with my maiden name, my married name (from 1st marriage, that is legal my name and what I currently go by) or what?? Want to do this right, and I know Martha would have the answer! Please help! Meghan

[Glaphre]

Not your typical engagement story...

My fiance is a pilot and mechanic and had been going to the Reno Air Races for 19 years as of last September. He was on the crew of one of the race planes for five years - the Rare Bear. The plane had done poorly the year before but made a major come back in 2007 and after winning the race at the end of a rough week, we all headed up to the winners circle to join other mechanics, fans, press and the pilot. The sun was setting which cast a lovely high-desert glow over everyone, emotions were high and we were surrounded by all our friends. I dropped to my knee right there on the ramp in front of God, the airplane and everybody and asked him to marry me. He said, "NO, no - I don't have a ring, YOU don't have a ring!" But I did, and I slipped it on his hand and as we both started crying he asked, "So this is it?" I said "This is it," and he said yes and it couldn't have been more perfect!

We agreed later it might have been corny if he had asked me to marry him at the air races - his favorite sporting event - but I just couldn't imagine a better place and time. He loved this plane, loved these people, a gorgeous sunset... Not planned, I just had a ring because I wanted to give him one when we did get engaged, regardless of who did the asking.

[Heather Moreau]

Hello Darcy,

Happy 2008! My name is Heather Moreau and I wanted to send you an email to introduce myself. I specialize in San Diego's elite weddings. On September 29th 2007, I shot an amazing wedding for a bride in New York. She was wearing a Monique Lhuillier gown and looked absolutely gorgeous. The wedding was truly unique and I would love to share the photos with you, I think it would be a great real wedding feature. If you are interested I seeing some of these photos, please go to:

Slideshow:

http://www.vallentynephotography.com/data/pssites/PS_26/new%20york/index.html

Album:

http://www.heathermoreau.com.temp.livebooks.com/data/web/maie/index.html

I also invite you to browse my website featuring each of my wedding portfolios. http://www.vallentynephotography.com

I look forward to speaking with you and I wish you a wonderful wedding season! If you would like any of these photos on CD I would be happy to send you full resolution files.

Best,
Heather Moreau

VALLENTYNE PHOTOGRAPHY
Heather Moreau
P: 760-672-2416
F: 760-859-3559

website: http://www.vallentynephotography.com
email: heather@vallentynephotography.com

[Kim]

My now husband proposed to me last July, he spent some time arranging it and truly suprised me! We play a TON of softball and one of the teams that we organize he let in on the secret and got some help from them. On a normal Sunday, we had a game that evening, I got geared up and we headed to the field. At some point he let the other team in on the secret too and at the end of the third inning as I was coming in from catching he and his daughter headed out from the dugout and met me at third base where he dropped to a knee and proposed to me in front of both teams and my family and some of our really good friends. His daughter was holding a big sign that my friend made that said "will you marry us" it was wonderful. Creative and wonderful.

Hope you hear lots of great stories!

Kim

[Rachel DeNeef]

I got engaged in September 2007 and I am soon to be married on Oct. 25th 2008. My engagement story starts with our first date. Dave took me to this wonderful tapas bistro called San Chez on our first date. I had the most amazing time and I had a hard time that night not telling him that I was completly in love with him. A year and a half later on a wednesday (no day special) he said he wanted to go to San Chez for dinner. When we got to San chez he had reserved the same table we had sat at on our first date. When we sit down...he pulls out the receipt from our first date! He said he wanted to make the day special and order the same tapas we had from our first date. (this was so cute!) After we ordered the meal to my surprise he asked me to marry him!! I said yes and I am in the process of planning the wedding myself to save some $$$. Thanks for letting me share my story.

[Devan]

Dear Ms. Miller,

Not every day that two pilots decide to fly together forever....

Last July Brian and I went with friends to their cabin in Ontario. To say it was secluded--the only way to get there was by boat or seaplane. Although I am a First Officer for a large airline, I have never gotten my seaplane rating. The weather was not cooperating but Brian was determined to get me flying their Piper Super Cub float plane.

After several days of delays we were finally able to fly and the view was beautiful beyond my imagination. When we coasted in to land on the pristine water, Brian cut the engine and asked me how the landing was. I said it was perfect, nothing could have made it any better. He asked, "not even this?" and asked me to marry him. In a tiny plane in Georgian Bay, I said yes and have never been happier. With all the crying, I was lucky not to drop the ring in the Bay!

[Sarah Glueck]

Darcy,

Eric and I were taking Swing Lessons where I work (50 minutes from where we live) and we decided to stay the night at a Bed and Breakfast after the class. The next morning we traveled into the wine country of Ste. Genevieve, MO where Eric had taken me on our first date. Later that day, we stopped at the Trail of Tears Park where Eric and I had posed for our first picture together overlooking the Mississippi River several years earlier. We then traveled to another location we he proposed that also overlooks the Mississippi River. I was completely suprised! I cried for a good ten minutes. Now, I also knew that we were taking a lot of detours because after he proposed, we had to stop and wash the car before we got home. This was also before we stopped at a county fair and after Eric suggested that we pull over and take a nap. OK, now. I wanted to get home to see our new puppy, Clyde so I was extremely ready to come home.

When we were driving down our street, Eric commented to me, "I hope you're ready for this"! I asked him, "Ready for what"? Then...I saw balloons on our mail box and Eric begins to drive through our yard (not up the driveway) to the garage where almost a hundred guests wait outside screaming suprise!! I instantly saw my dad and, of course, cry. I saw all of our friends and family that drove up to celebrate our engagement together that Eric had been planning for 3 months.

We are getting married on November 15! Our colors for the wedding will be navy blue, white and orange. I'm so excited and can't wait to marry my wonderful blue eyed man!

[Heather Byers]

Hi Darcy,

It was a beautiful summer night in New York City last July. Jon took me to wonderful dinner at the Sea Grill in Rockefeller Center. He ordered caviar and a great bottle of champagne. The waitress asked if we were celebrating a special occasion, and he said, "no, just that I love her", as he was looking at me and holding my hand. So sweet he his!!! We just enjoyed our time together and the wonderful dinner. Once finished, we walked out of the restaurant towards the steps of the rink. As we began to walk up the steps, he stopped and turned around to face me. He told me how much in love with me he was, how he wanted to spend his life with me, how much I meant to him, then slipped the ring on my finger proposing. I was ecstatic, and of course said yes. It was such a beautiful night. We then walked over to Morrell's wine bar to celebrate over champagne and cheesecake, while sending pictures of my ring from our phones to our family to tell them the news. He's a wonderful wonderful man, and I couldn't be anymore happier. We now have begun to plan our wedding, now that I've finally found a beautiful badgley mischka gown. It's in July of 2009, in Newport, RI at Castle Hill Inn. It's outdoors, and I want a french garden theme, and have no clue on where to begin with decor. It's been wonderful to share my story and to read others. Thanks Darcy!

[Louisa Jones]

Hi Darcy,

This past May my parents, my boyfriend and I went to Germany to visit relatives. It was my boyfriends first time out of the country and he was quite excited about experiencing my family's culture so he had been studying German for months just to be able to speak to my relatives that didnt speak any english. Anyways, we visited many touristy spots throughout our trip including the ever popular Neuschwanstein Castle(Cinderella's Castle in Disney World was modeled after it). That particular day my boyfriend decided to wear a sport jacket with his jeans and I couldnt figure out why..and every picture we took together he had me stand on his left side..which was odd...anyways...we went on the tour of the castle and when we got to the Throne Room of the Castle when the tour guide asked if anyone had any questions he said that he did...he got down on one knee in front of 60+ strangers and asked me to marry him. It was the most romantic day/time of my life. I started crying and of course said yes..and everyone started clapping and cheering. It was amazing.
What I found out was the reason he didnt want me to stand on his right side for the pictures was he had the ring box in that pocket and he thought I would feel it.

Our wedding is July 23, 2008 in the Bahamas with an at home Reception in MA where we live.

[Lorie Van Dyke]

Hi Darcy,

I received the sweetest birthday gift a girl could ever ask for, a proposal during the re-creation of our first date. On our 1st date 5 years ago we met on the plaza of Lincoln Center near their Christmas tree, then walked from there to Rockefeller Center to see their tree and the store windows along 5th Avenue. When Ray asked what I wanted to do for my birthday last December, I suggested we go all of the places we'd gone on our 1st date. When we arrived at Lincoln Center, the place where all of this started, I was looking at the tree, not paying attention to him, and the next thing I knew he had a ring box open asking me to marry him. What a happy surprise, and of course I accepted. We are planning a vineyard wedding for this summer or fall on the north fork of Long Island, another of our favorite places to visit.

[Melissa Branch]

Hey...Darcy,
"A very romantic proposal story"
Me and my husband-to-be, has been dating now for almost a year. I met him, during a new chapter in my life, which was my divorce from my ex- husband, and my romantic and loving fiance really helped me get through it all.
We have both been through a bad marriage, and divorce, so we both knew what we wanted in a relationship, and what we didn't want in a relationship.
You might not believe this, but I believe that God can allow someone to cross your path for a reason, and that special person in my life is my fiance.Well, it's February, and I got engaged last night. My husband-to-be told me last week that he was planning to take me and him to Folly beach, South carolina...so we could get away for a 3-day weekend. He came over on his lunch break, the day we left, to give me my decoy of a valentine present.
I didn't know that my old fashioned parents, my sister, and my fiance's mom knew about what he was planning...and to me it seemed like they were just acting weird about the whole thing. Because my old-fashioned parents would never approve of me going on a 3 day weekend alone, with my boyfriend, lol.
About a hour after we got here to our hotel room, he asked me if he could take a stroll with me on the beach. And since our hotel room overlooked the ocean,I didn't mind.
After awhile of talking, he asked me if I wanted my present, and of course I said, yes, give it to me. Because up to now, he made me believe that I had two gifts, but played off like i didn't.He handed me a box, that from what I gathered from looking at it, was a bracelet box. I asked him what it was, and he just said to open it. I opened it and found a smaller box, inside. And since I couldn't really tell what it was, since it was nighttime, I took it and opened it up. That was when he knelt down on the sand, and asked me to marry him!!
I know in my heart, that I will never forget this weekend, ever.
Because all of my life, I heard of romantic love proposal stories, and now, I have one to tell of my own.

[Melinda Hayes]

I got engaged on my birthday March 15th, 2007. My boyfriend wanted to go ice fishing so bad and I couldn't figure out why. Yes, I love fishing its my favorite thing to do but jeez it was my birthday and it was extremely cold out. So, we finally got out to the lake set up the ice fishing house and started fishing. I will admit I was kind of cranky that day and I even said (this was sooo rude and i apologized after)"I can't believe I'm turning 23 years old and I still don't have a ring!" I wish I could take back that statement. Okay, continuing-he caught one northern than he was busy with his line. The next thing I knew he was like, "Melinda, my bobber went under. Do you want to catch the fish?" Well, of course its my turn to catch a fish. HaHa
So, there I am pulling up on the line and I was like there is no fish on! He's like keep pulling it up. And I did and i put the hook on the floor. I didn't even see the ring! He's like, "Melinda Look!" I was so surprised. He than got on one knee and proposed. I think I said, "Are you serious" like 200 times. This was the perfect proposal for me. Fishing is a passion of mine and he totally fooled me. And nobody can believe he put my ring down in a lake full of northerns. Brave soul he is.

[Lisa B.]

We've had the most over-the-top, romantic courtship, but the proposal was more of a "discussion." It was New Year's Eve day in my car as we were parked in my garage. We had been discussing marriage a lot over the weekend, but there was no date yet--it was just a distant future prospect for us. Finally, I said, "So when were you thinking we'd get married?"

He replied, "Well, I thought we'd get married in April and I was planning on proposing to you on Valentine's Day."

"Are you on crack?" I asked him jokingly. I explained that I could never pull off a wedding in two months. That I had to book the temple, the reception venue, and friends and family had to plan their travels here.

So we agreed that we would go ahead and book everything and do the April wedding. (And four months is still a very short time!)

He DID propose on Valentine's Day and we then got my lovely ring. But I'll always remember our discussion in my garage as we planned our lives together. It was a strangely touching moment for both of us.

I find that many people when they hear our "proposal" story seem to have expected something more "over the top" because the whole courtship has been that way, but I've learned a very important lesson throughout all my own wedding planning (albeit my short wedding planning) and that is I can't fulfill everyone's dreams and fantasies out there. I have my own unique dreams and fantasies and in a blue moon they might line up with what most people expect or want for me, but mostly my dreams are very different--they're my own. And my garage proposal is the one I cherish the most.