How we met: Jason and I met how everyone meets…at a bar. It was June 1, 2012 – I was there with my friends and he was there with his friend. After chatting with Jason and his friend for a bit, I complimented his friend’s shoes. I got down on my knee in the bar and tied his friend’s shoe and won Jason over.
Jason bought my friend’s and I drinks and we talked and kind of danced all night (I can’t dance well but he is very good). We quoted Arnold Schwarzenegger puns and talked about movies and Jason was/is so hilarious. I was hoping that he would ask for my number and before the bar closed, he said, “put your number in my phone! We are hanging out again!”
We said goodbye and an hour later he texted me saying, “I have a feeling I’m going to be thinking about you for a long time.” Which made me VERY HAPPY. A week later we went on our first date. It was the most perfect first date I had ever been on.
We dated for about two weeks and then I took off to Europe for a study abroad trip to Florence, Italy. We Skyped almost everyday and I missed him A LOT the entire time I was gone. I was gone for six weeks and I couldn’t wait to get home to be with him. I came home in early August and we have been together ever since.
how they asked: While I was in Europe, Jason and I Skyped a lot and during one of our Skype dates I mentioned that I have lived in Southern California my whole life, and I had never been to The Getty Museum in Los Angeles. Jason is originally from Georgia and even he had been to The Getty. Jason said he would take me when I came home. When I got home in early August he took me there and also to the Santa Monica Pier and Promenade because I hadn’t been there since I was two years old. While we were at the Promenade we went to an awesome wine bar called the Sonoma Wine Garden. It was an awesome date!
Fast forward two years later. Jason mentioned that we should recreate our date to The Getty for our anniversary on June 1st. I was so happy and I thought it was awesome and adorable that he thought of that. I mentioned to my best friends and my mom that I thought he might ask me to marry him on our anniversary.
But as the date got closer, I thought there is NO WAY he is going to ask me to marry him. He hasn’t asked me anything about a ring in over a year and he doesn’t seem to care what we do on our anniversary. I started getting upset because his cute idea to recreate our Getty date seemed to go out the window. He started asking me things like, “Oh, well it’s your best friend’s birthday….don’t you want to spend the day with her?”, “It’s going to be hot that day, maybe we can go to the beach,” and “Didn’t you say you wanted to go to the Griffith Observatory? We can go there for our anniversary.” It made me wonder later, what if I had said yes to doing any of the other things he had offered? He said that he would have manipulated me back to The Getty. So he threw me off completely as we approached the date and I honestly didn’t think he would ask. Which was totally fine. I thought maybe he was thinking about it and maybe sometime within the next year he would ask. I was ready whenever he was. But I was definitely shocked and surprised that it happened on our anniversary.
So June 1st finally came. When we got up, Jason checked his phone and there was an email from work. Apparently his friend, Drew, had to go in because there was an issue. Similar things have happened before with work so I didn’t think anything of it. I thought that sucks but you better not be going into work! We go get breakfast and parking is a nightmare. We take off to The Getty after we eat and there is a little bit of traffic and construction and parking there is also a nightmare. I think he is stressed about the parking situation and he played it off very well but actually he was stressed about the proposal and the timing.
We walked around The Getty and went the same route we went two year before.It was a perfect day and we started in the garden. We took the same “selfies” we took two years ago and walked around to look at the art.
While we looked at the art, several times I said, “Hey look at this one…” and he was on his phone. At first it was no big deal, I was just grateful he didn’t have to go into work. Then finally I was like, “Tell Drew to leave us alone.” He said, “I’m sorry babe, there’s just an issue. Let me send him one last text.” So “Drew” is actually my best friend Diane who is coordinating things on the other end.
We get outside and we are walking and holding hands near a fountain. Jason says, “Do you want a coffee?” We went to this little coffee kiosk two years ago at The Getty so I said, “Yeah I could go for a coffee.” My eyes are now focused on the coffee kiosk and I don’t notice the group of 20 people standing to the left of us. I hear several voices, “Heyyyy! Hey! What’s goin’ on guys???” I turn and see the following people: my parents, my brothers, my grandparents, a couple of my aunts and uncles, my cousins, my two best friends (crying), Jason’s mom, his uncle and his two cousins visiting from Georgia and his dad visiting from North Carolina. My jaw dropped and I was in complete shock. I started saying, “oh my god!” and “holy s#@*!” repeatedly and if you know me you can imagine me doing just that. I saw my childhood soccer/field hockey friend and her younger brother (both photographers now) with cameras capturing the whole thing (including some unflattering pictures but they are the real moments so I am so appreciative for them!). I registered what was about to happen but I was in such shock I just started hugging everyone. I couldn’t believe everyone was there but especially his family from the East Coast.
I turn around with my hands over my mouth and see Jason. He says, “So Kelli,” he grabs my left hand and gets down on one knee, “two years ago today I met you, and after knowing you for two weeks, I wanted to ask you this question: Will you marry me?” With the biggest grin on my face I managed to say “YES! Oh my God YES!” several times. Everyone around us started to applaud and cheer and snap pictures. Including random strangers (p.s. if you’re one of them send me your photos please haha). He put the most beautiful ring on my finger and I could not stop shaking. I am not a crier but I definitely teared up this time. He stood up, kissed me, hugged me and told me he loved me so much. I told him I loved him too and squeezed him in a tight hug.
The photographers videoed and snapped more pictures and Jason informed everyone that we had to get going. I thought we were going to hang out at The Getty a little longer with our friends and families but Jason said he made reservations at the same wine bar we had gone to 2 years ago! We all went to the wine bar and the owner brought over some champagne. My dad made a toast and we all ate and drank wine. After, we all went to our house to celebrate some more. It was so awesome having our friends and families be a part of such a special day and I couldn’t imagine celebrating it any other way than surrounded by the people we love.
It was the most perfect proposal and I am so grateful to our families and friends for being there. I am so thankful to my fiancé for planning such an amazing proposal with the most perfect ring and for including our families (and for being persistent about me wearing a cute dress that day). I am beyond blessed and I can’t wait to marry the man of my dreams.
Location: The Getty Museum | Photographer | Christina Craig | Wine Bar | Sonoma Wine Garden