how we met
The day we first started talking we were at the same bar in the town we both went to college…rival colleges. I was visiting Utica to see friends and she was sending off a friend to the military. We were messaging each other the whole night; I’m not going to lie, I saw her at the bar but was too nervous to talk to her. What we found out that night, we’ve both been living in Rochester since we graduated college, went to college 5 minutes away from each other in Utica for 4 years and had a handful of the same friends. I just think it’s crazy we had never crossed paths before. After that night we both headed back to Rochester and were texting daily. In getting to know each other over the phone I had found out she played soccer at the same place as my housemate, on the same nights. I always went with my friend to go watch my housemate, so I suggested meeting up there before one of her games. Game day…literally, I got to the field to watch the game and meet Sara, nervously texting my brother telling him I’m meeting this girl I had been talking to and of course he had to call me to find out the details, Sara came and sat next to me and I’m like Steve I got to get off the phone! We started talking about everything under the sun, family, friends, careers, interests, we just hit it off! Meeting her and talking to her just seemed so natural like we had known each other for years.
how they asked
About a year into dating Leah, I knew I wanted to marry her. I started a mason jar saving any extra change I had. Fast forward a few months, we started talking about rings she liked and found out her size.
August of 2019 I decided to start planning. When would be the perfect date, perfect place, perfect ring, etc.? I decided October 14, 2019 at 1300 hours would be the perfect time. That was the exact date we met two years ago online, October representing our favorite season of fall, 14 being her favorite number and 1300 hours because 13 was my favorite number.
Rochester is so important to Leah and to us as a couple that I knew I wanted to propose in our city, but where? I had just moved here three years ago. Thank goodness for the internet! I finally found the perfect spot, the Sunken Garden at Warner Castle.
I had the date and place picked out and the ring was being made, but I needed something special planned on this date. I wanted a day she would never forget. Before I planned that day too much, I wanted to get a photographer. Something you don’t know about Leah, she loves pictures. The minute she shows you one, be prepared to sit there for an hour as she shows you pictures of her favorite memories. I knew this day needed an awesome photographer so she could show off some awesome pictures. That is when I found Lauren Page Wadsworth Photography, I knew she was perfect to capture the proposal and some engagement pictures.
I told Leah she needed to take October 14th off, so we could have a fall day. Just like last year, we can have a day do all of our favorite fall activities. Leah had to make things difficult and tells me she wasn’t sure if she could get that date off anymore, a few weeks before our big day. She didn’t know what was going to happen, but I did! I was freaking out and probably asked her way too many times to make sure she got that date off. Finally, a week and a half before she tells me she can get it off for sure… then I could breathe.
The big day, October 14, 2019. I took Leah apple picking, pumpkin picking, and packed a small picnic. It was then that I started shaking as the proposal was only an hour away, I didn’t even notice I was until she asked me if I was cold. I said no, why do you ask? She said well you are shaking…. great, pull it together, I told myself. on our way to our next fall day stop, I told her we were going to a castle and maybe could do a tour. I knew the castle was closed for construction, but I wanted to give her a reason for going.
We walked up to the castle and of course it had a sign on the door. So, we decided to walk around back. In the meantime, the parking lot was packed with cars, I was so nervous there was going to be a crowd of random strangers back there. My big thing was I wanted to proposal to be personal and private. Thankfully, when we got back there, there was no one. It was so peaceful and quiet. I tried my best to remain calm as the photographer and I had a plan. I got Leah to walk back to the garden with me and there the photographer was, taking pictures. I’m sure Leah’s gears started turning as to what was happening. I was so nervous at this point I almost ran down the stairs to get to the photographer. I asked her to take our picture, with my phone and then she asked if she could take one with her camera… then I proposed to the love of my life and best friend. That moment was captured beautifully. We then had an hour of pictures and of course I could not leave out our dog, Koda. I asked my friend to pick her up from camp to bring her to the end of our photo shoot to get some pictures with our little girl. It was just perfect.
I could not have asked for a better day with my now fiancé. I could not be happier to spend the rest of my life with a more caring, loving and funny person.
