How We Met: About 5 years ago Patrick and I met at his parents house while they were having a get together. He is a triplet and his brother, John, was dating my best friend, Lucy, from TCU at the time, while I was in another relationship. We ran in the same friend group and stayed friends throughout the years, but it was always suggested to me that Patrick had been asking about me over the years.
Last year, Lucy and John were married and it was absolutely wonderful to see two high school sweethearts end up together. Soon after the wedding when my past relationship and I ended things, Patrick asked me on a date. I was hesitant at first, but we now joke that persistence beats resistance and eventually I took him up on his dinner offer.
That night we closed down the restaurant and after a 4 hour dinner I knew I was absolutely crazy about him. After our first date we were pretty inseparable. My friends knew it was different and my family could tell I had fallen hard and fallen fast.
how they asked: Over Memorial Day weekend Patrick and I flew to Napa to spend the long weekend away. Friday was spent wine tasting followed by an amazing dinner at Auberge. The next morning we were picked up by our driver, Hart, and stopped at a Deli in Yountville to grab a picnic lunch to bring to Barnett Vineyards. When we arrived at Barnett I was amazed at not only how gorgeous the views were, but how kind the people working there were and how delicious their wine was!
After a tasting with our wonderful host, Nicole, we headed down to the picnic area to eat lunch. She gave us a free bottle of my favorite wine to take with us and we began to unpack our picnic basket at a private table overlooking St. Helena. After I poured us some more wine I asked if I could help with anything else before we started eating and Patrick asked if I could get the silver wear out of the top of the basket. When I opened the top and moved the blanket the box was sitting there.
I immediately turned around and he was on one knee. I couldn’t have been more surprised or more filled with joy in that moment and burst into tears right off the bat. After I said yes, he pointed up and the photographer I had seen photographing other people at the vineyard had actually brought his family with him as decoys and had been taking pictures of us the entire time. My heart is so full knowing I get to marry this amazing man and I can’t wait to do so next year in the same town it all happened in!!!
Photographer: Darryl Fenton