how we met
Adam and I met in Jeddah City, Saudi Arabia, last 2012. We worked in the same low cost airline, Flynas, with him as a Pilot and me as Cabin Crew. We became a couple in January 2013, but separated in March 2015. Later that year he went back to USA permanently.
We somehow reconnected as friends and eventually I would say we were having a long distance relationship, but had no specific label since we were living apart — literally different continents. I went to visit him in the USA for vacation in 2016, and he visited me in the Philippines, where my family lives, in 2017. Eventually in March 2018, we both decided to permanently separate and totally stop our communication as I realized that our relationship was not upgrading to something more serious and permanent. After 16 months of zero communication, he reconnected and suggested that he wanted us to get back together, but this time with a lifetime relationship — meaning marriage. And the rest is history.
how they asked
I accidentally found out about his actual proposal. As we were discussing our future plans and why we should get back together, I thought that he just felt obligated to get married because he was not saying much detail about our wedding plans. So I told him that if he proposed marriage on our upcoming trip to New York, I would not accept it because I didn’t believe that he truly wanted it. He then revealed his BIG plans: that he already went to a jeweler to have our engagement ring and wedding bands customized, and that if I said yes we would get married civilly the following day. I asked him why he ordered the rings already when I hadn’t agreed yet to get back together — what if I said no while he was kneeling?? He said he would just keep the rings and patiently wait. That’s when I agreed that we get married, that it’s about time. Later on he told me that the whole week in NYC had been meticulously planned already, from marriage applications including Philippines embassy requirements, photographer, make up artist, restaurant and Broadway show reservation, tailor for adjusting my jumpsuit length, down to my hair extension. He had booked and planned everything by himself. All I did was fly to NYC from Saudi Arabia.
Sooo… The actual proposal is:
I told him in advance that I’d like to attend the Sunday service at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on September 29, so I need an hour or two. He was surprised with my request, as he already scheduled us to attend the mass and have a semi-private tour of the cathedral afterwards.
We headed to the cathedral office after the mass and met the “other tourist” to be on the tour with us — and this turned out to be our secret photographer, Jocelyn at Everly Studios. When the “tour” started, we were led us to a small chapel. The tour leader said something about ancient medallion carvings on the ceiling. I was looking up and intently searching for it, and Adam was guiding me somehow but I still couldn’t figure where the medallion was. That’s when he said, “I need a minute.” When I looked down, he went down to his knees and started with something like, “Almost 7 years ago we operated a flight together in Saudi Arabia…” I started crying when I heard the “7 years ago” because that’s how long our roller coaster relationship was before we finally got into that blissful moment. I don’t know what else he said as I was in a state of shock.
After the proposal, I approached the “tourist” and asked if I could have her email, as I saw she was taking pictures while he was proposing. Jocelyn then said something like, “I’m here for you, I’m your photographer,” and again I was shock. And later I found out the tour was a role-play for his surprise proposal.
