how we met
I first met the love of my life 13 years ago! I was a 7th grader in middle school when one day I walked into my P.E. class. There was an 8th grade boy who laughed at my tennis shoes because he said I was wearing “boy shoes”. I saw that he was wearing the same ones as me, and I then picked on him for wearing “girl shoes”! We teased each other the whole semester. (It turns out my black and navy blue Nike shocks were definitely guy shoes).
It wasn’t until my freshman year in high school when that same boy, who was a sophomore, messaged me on MySpace. (I know right? So long ago!) He invited me to go to a party with him and I messaged back telling him, “No thanks, I don’t like to party”. Tony tells me now that he was shocked by my response because everyone would have said yes, especially since I was a freshman.
We continued to see each other in the hallways on our way to our classes and became good friends. He always joked around with me and there was not a day that went by without him making me laugh. Eventually, he asked me to Homecoming and I said yes! He asked me to be his girlfriend in the limo that night and well the rest is history. Actually no, I didn’t answer him when he asked me to be his girlfriend. I was in shock and didn’t give him an answer until the next day at IHOP for breakfast, I said yes! From there, the rest is history.
We lived apart from each other for 1 year when Tony went off to college, lived in 3 different cities together, and ended up moving across the United States to live in Connecticut together. 10 years later my best friend proposed at the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City!
how they asked
The Brooklyn Bridge was our spot. We moved to Connecticut from Texas for my grad school and would visit New York almost every weekend we could. We were obsessed! Tony and I would walk across the Brooklyn Bridge at sunrise and head to a Broadway show at night. We moved back to Texas a year later and missed the city so much!
Tony surprised me with a trip to New York and I was extremely excited! He wanted to walk the Brooklyn Bridge the next day at sunrise, but I was so tired and didn’t want wake up that early. He was adamant about going, and I had a feeling he was going to propose! I wanted to know for sure so I didn’t paint my nails on purpose and made them look nasty to see if it was true. He didn’t say anything about them so I was confused if he was or wasn’t going to propose!
It was a rainy, cold, and windy morning, but I sucked it up and woke up early the next day. We were in the middle of walking the bridge when some photographer came up to us and asked if it was ok to take a photo of us for her portfolio. No one else was around and I knew at that moment he was going to propose!!! I was freaking out in my mind; I have been waiting for this moment for 10 years! I thought, “How am I going to look? I am so awkward, where will my hands naturally go?”
He then got down on one knee and asked, “Vanessa Anne Ramos, I have loved you for the past 10 years and I want to love you for the rest of my life. Will you marry me?” Even though I saw it coming, I was still in shock and felt numb. I pictured this moment my whole life and it finally happened. I of course said YES!
Tony bought me a $20 cubic zirconia ring from Kohl’s and asked me if I loved the ring. I knew I didn’t like it, but acted like I was in love with it! He then told me the truth and said it was a fake! Tony wanted me to pick out my ring because I am so picky, so the next day we went around the city to find the perfect one! It was an unforgettable trip to say the least.
Although I never knew this at the time, Tony told me he always knew he was going to marry me. The same boy who would tease me as a kid, is now the love of my life and my soon to be husband. He has been there for me through it all, and I couldn’t be happier to marry my best friend.