Check Out How This "Yes Girl" Said Yes!

How We Met: Aaron and I met April 20, 2013 in Dallas, Texas at a mutual friend’s housewarming party. We chatted for most of the party off and on and even went to a movie after the party with a big group of friends together. The next day I woke up to a new friend request from Aaron and honestly didn’t think much of it. Although in hindsight I should have realized that he was interested in becoming more than just friends. We ended up hanging out together in a group of friends on a fairly regular basis after that party. The group got in the habit of watching a movie over at Aaron’s apartment every Thursday evening (as well as other outings together on weekends).

Fast forward to June 25, 2013. I text the group and asked what movie we would be watching that Thursday and who was bringing dinner – no one responded. Then, that afternoon, Aaron called me. This was definitely out of the ordinary and I was really confused when I saw his name on my caller-id. So I answered and Aaron then proceeds to tell me that he has cancelled the Thursday night movie that week and instead would like to take me out to dinner on a date. I was literally shocked. We had been friends for about 3 months at this point and I had completely “friend zoned” him! In fact, I was so shocked that my answer was definitely less than graceful… I stumbled out an, “um… yeah… sure,” to which my funny friend said, “you know you don’t have to, right?” Nice, Elie. That night I went to dinner with a couple of my closest girl friends in Dallas and tried to figure out a way to get out of the date that would happen two days later. All the girls told me that I needed to go on the date and that our friendship was ruined at this point either way so I might as well see what come from it all.

Our first date was at a cute French restaurant in Dallas and after we missed our movie showing, we just drove around Dallas and talked and absorbed the beautiful sights our city has to offer. That was June 27th. July 20th we went on another group outing, line dancing, and that’s the night that I fell for this man. I know it seems fast, but that was one incredible month and the way he was so chivalrous, kind, and patient just swept me off my feet!

how they asked: Aaron and I knew we were each other’s “lobster” pretty much from July 20th, 2013 on. So when his Physical Therapy Schooling started winding down we started talking about our future and when we could see ourselves getting married. We decided that April 2016 would be our date and I then started waiting (not so patiently) for the proposal. We had a date, we had gone ring shopping, we had talked about a one year engagement, it was time.

Because of my job and crazy summer schedule (we have 13 weddings this summer), we decided that one year out from our wedding date we would start looking at venues. That way we could note the temperature, the foliage, etc when we saw a potential venue. I secretly hoped that we would be engaged by the time we went to look at venues, but I also knew that Aaron wanted to graduate and get a job before he popped the question – so I wasn’t really sure if it would happen beforehand. When summer came and we still weren’t engaged I thought for sure that it wouldn’t happen until Fall because we have events for other people’s weddings every single weekend of this summer.

The weekend of May 16th was my best friend’s bachelorette party in Oklahoma City. The week before that Aaron had found out he had scored a job interview at his dream hospital for May 16th so he would stay in Dallas while I drove up to Oklahoma by myself. Friday night was my friend’s lingerie shower and that night as all the bridesmaids were getting ready for bed, one of my friends suggested that we get all dolled up the next day and go shopping and get sushi and just enjoy a good-ole-fashioned girls day. So the next morning I curled my hair and put on one of my favorite pink dresses (pink is my absolute favorite color) and we went shopping! That afternoon I was working a lot from my cell phone (sending emails and making calls) because there was a proposal event in Napa that was needing the planner’s full attention, so my friend suggested we go back to her parents’ house (where we were staying for the weekend) and I could finish working before the bachelorette festivities that evening.

When we walked into the house I had my head down on the phone sending an email and trying to figure out a Plan B for this Napa client’s proposal because of weather. Then my best friend turned around in front of me and started grabbing my shopping bags and cell phone. I was thoroughly confused and couldn’t figure out what the heck she was doing. But then, I looked behind her out the window and saw the backyard and saw Aaron standing there. Cue insta-tears. And might I add, not cute adorable tears… bawling, ugly girl crying started immediately.

We walked into the backyard and there was a line of some of my favorite people in the world. Each person handed me a pink peony (my favorite flower) and told me how much they loved me, and how they approved of Aaron as my soul mate. Even my mom (who lives in Arizona) was on Facetime and was able to be a part of the moment. Then I walked toward Aaron. He was standing under beautiful market lights and a flower chandelier – yes I said that right, a flower chandelier! Next to him was a table with a framed bible verse and a baseball. I am super obsessed with the San Francisco Giants and after their winning season last year Aaron has hopped on board and loves this team as well. On the baseball was a note from Aaron (written in pink) that said, “you may have said ‘um… yeah… sure’ but to me that was just as good as ‘hell yes’!”

Aaron told me that his whole goal was to surprise the Professional Proposal Planner and he knew the only way to do that was to propose during a friend’s bachelorette party when he wasn’t even supposed to be in the same state. Then he got down on one knee and told me he loved me and asked me to marry him. It was beautiful.

After I said yes and we cried, Aaron showed me a 3-foot tall canvas that he had my friend (a professional calligrapher) create for our proposal. The canvas was a letter to my father, who passed away the year before Aaron and I met. This letter was from Aaron, to my dad asking for his permission to marry me. Cue the insta-tears again. It was the sweetest gift I’ve ever received and I will cherish this adorable piece of our proposal forever.

From a Professional Proposal Planner’s Point of View: So this is my job. I work for The Yes Girls Events, and every single day I plan other people’s “yes moment”. Yes, I knew that our proposal was coming sometime soon, yes, I have been thinking about this moment and how everything would happen from the moment that I started working for this incredible company. But, nothing in my wildest dreams could compare to the emotions that I felt in that moment. Aaron’s whole goal was to surprise me, and that he did. I have never in my life been so surprised.

And as for the planning and the thoughtful décor, yes my boss helped him to bring it all together. In my heart, I know I would have said yes regardless of the proposal décor. Aaron compliments me in a way that I’ve never imagined my future husband doing so, and it was an honor to say, “YES!” to him. That being said, since this is my job, I do pay extra attention to details and try to make each client’s proposal special, so I really do appreciate that Aaron did the same thing for me. And that letter to my dad… it’s truly priceless. I am so so grateful that Aaron took the time and effort (and money) to make the moment “Yes Girl worthy”. Plus it’s been so much fun to share all the details with our blog and social media followers!