Ending off the week with this romantic seaside engagement session from Sun & Sparrow. With the help of XOandFetti, this couple set up an adorable picnic setting with tasty treats and wine. Of course, their cute dog Nala joined in for some shots too before heading out to the beach for some sunset snuggling.
The groom shares the adorable story of how they fell in love and he proposed:
It was January 5th – my birthday. It was a Saturday. It was winter but I was still glowing from the ten perfect days I spent with her in Hawaii. A year ago to the day I had whispered a forbidden birthday wish to the most beautiful girl at the bar. She is living proof that wishes can come true.
I first met Heather through my best friend Doug who was dating (and is now married to) Heather’s Sister, Rachel. Heather moved to California to take a position with an advertising company in Santa Monica which just happened to be two blocks from my house. Over the following six months, we ran into each other a few times at various social gatherings. Each time I saw her, I remember thinking to myself, “she is gorgeous and really really really sweet.” I tried to ignore these thoughts until she invited Doug and me over for an incredible Thanksgiving meal. We ate, we drank, we laughed and for the first time, I got to cuddle with Nala. Like a bass at a fishing tournament, I was hooked.
Somehow I managed to contain these feelings until she showed up at my birthday party. It was a busy night at the most popular bar in Santa Monica but it felt like she was the only one there. We hung out all night. With the assistance of some liquid courage, I rather clumsily told Heather how I felt. Shortly thereafter, we went on our first date. Sparks flew. The chemistry was undeniable and we have been inseparable ever since.
Proposal…engagement…wedding…marriage were not part of my vocabulary… until I met Heather. The first year with Heather was the best of my life and I knew that I was ready to ask her to be my wife. All of a sudden, I found myself on a bike ride up Mandeville Canyon with Doug, talking out loud about proposing to Heather. The shock on his face was priceless, almost equaling his look when I told him that I had been secretly dating his fiancé’s little sister. I talked about it the whole way up the grueling five mile climb. The adrenaline kick from the thought of spending the rest of my life with her was overwhelming. For the first and probably last time, I beat Doug to the top of the mountain, barely out of breath. It was a sign….Heather and I were meant to be …Weiss-Weiss forever.
The stage was set. I was going to propose to Heather on March 14th, our “official” one-year anniversary. But how should I do it? I knew I wanted it to be an epic surprise. I thought about some pretty elaborate Kanyesque ideas but in the end I knew that sweet, thoughtful, simple and personal would be what she wanted. I had her ring custom designed by Tim Stammen, Heather’s good friend from Savannah College of Art and Design.
Heather had recently launched an advertising campaign for a home automation company which included a very romantic commercial involving a husband who wrote a poem for his wife and staged his house with fun memories for their one-year anniversary. With the help of my friends and family, we secretly recreated the commercial at our house. With the help of Dougie Fresh Productions, I created a poem with a video montage of our incredible year together that was playing when she arrived home. Heather was led around the house with five romantic clues that ultimately brought her to me and Nala who were waiting for her on our rooftop deck. I nervously got on one knee, mumbled something then we kissed, danced, cried, drank champagne and celebrated with our friends who were waiting for us at a surprise engagement party. It was magical. It was the best day of our lives. It is hard to imagine a more perfect day.
Photography | Sun & Sparrow | Styling | XOandFetti | Florals | InStyle Blooms | Calligraphy | Spring & Folly
