Thursday, January 3, 2019

I'm Engaged! (and How He Asked)

pittsburgh engagement

mt. washington pittsburgh engagement
I cannot believe I am typing my engagement story! I have had to come back and edit this so many times because it started out all over the place! I am so happy and filled with emotion so it has been hard to put all of this into words.

But, I really wanted to do my absolute best to share the story! One of my favorite things about blogging is that it's like a life-record. I'm so glad that I will have this post to always look back on and remember the sheer excitement of it all. 

I have been SO excited to share it with all of you- I have intentionally kept my relationship offline. I share so much of my life online and it was very important that something like this stay offline to keep a semblance of privacy- I'll definitely write a full post about that and go into more detail! 

You were all so wonderfully supportive and kind when I announced our engagement on Instagram. All of the comments, e-mails, and DM's brought tears to my eyes and I cannot thank you enough or be more grateful for this wonderful Summer Wind community that has come to fruition over the last ten years. 

One other thing to note before we get started- I'm sharing iPhone photos from our engagement night (so weird to type 'engagement night', ha!). I just got our engagement photos and I am so excited to share those, too, but I will share those in a separate post. I'll also share more about our relationship like how long we have been together, how we met, etc. in future posts. For now, this is just about the night we got engaged! Let me know if you have any other wedding-specific content that you'd like me to share!

It all started on Christmas Eve. My mom asked me if I wanted to go for drinks and then dinner on Friday, December 28th. This was totally normal - my sister Callie was in town for Christmas and we usually do something fun like that when she is home. So we planned to head to Mt. Washington for drinks and dinner. I was honestly itching to do something fun because I had been cooped up in bed for the last 8+ days. Little did I know, Andrew had already met my dad for drinks and asked for his permission. At our huge Christmas Eve party, everyone knew but me, ha!!

Callie's boyfriend was planning on coming with us to dinner and I had asked Andrew if he would want to join but his friends were in town so he was going to be with them that night. Again, this was totally normal because his friends really were going to be in town that night. 

I had been sick with the flu the week prior to Christmas so I had missed my manicure appointment. My nails seriously looked SO bad- my mom and Andrew and pretty much everyone said something about how bad they looked, but I just laughed because I had been sick. So, my sister, cousin and I went to get our nails done on Friday morning. Andrew had texted Callie worried that my nails wouldn't be done. I suspected nothing because I literally needed a manicure and was happy to have them done before the New Year's Eve holiday. 

During that afternoon, my mom told me that they would pick me up at 4:50pm. I did question that- I told her that was ridiculously early and we should go later like around 7pm. She convinced me to do it early because she had said Callie made a dinner reservation earlier so it ended up making sense. 

They picked me up and it had been really warm all day. That night it was 60 degrees but it had started to rain. My sister had said she wanted to take photos on Mt. Washington. This area of the city is the area that overlooks the downtown skyline. In my opinion, it's the best view. It is very popular to go and look out on the city. I wasn't suspicious at all when she had said that but I did complain in the car on the way up because it was raining. I said 'we should just skip the photos because it's raining and I don't want to get out of the car if it is raining.' 
pittsburgh engagement story
What I Wore:

Miraculously, it had stopped raining as soon as we parked. So we all go out of the car and went to an overlook. I had my mom take a photo of my sister and I that you can see above. I guess Callie saw Andrew out of the corner of her eye and had me turn around to take a photo. I didn't see him and he came up behind me. 

This next part all happened so fast, it was crazy trying to process it all as it was happening. Andrew was shaking SO much and I saw his mom and sister out of the corner of my eye. For a second, it didn't even hit me he was proposing and I felt like I was being rude by not going over to his mom and sister and saying hi to them. I almost walked over to them but he started talking and he was crying and shaking so much, and all of the sudden I said 'Oh my gosh are you proposing?'. Andrew said some very sweet things and got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. 
Engagement story
When I pictured getting engaged in my head, I didn't think I would cry, but I did!!! My biggest request in terms of getting engaged is that I wanted to be so surprised and Andrew nailed it. I was truly clueless and never suspected a thing. So not only was I filled with so much happiness and emotion but I was just truly SO surprised. 

Andrew knows me too well. I loved that it was in one of the most picturesque places in all of Pittsburgh and a place that is special to me. I don't think I had ever mentioned it to him, but when the day came, I had always wanted to get engaged on Mt. Washington. I also love that he included our families in the entire thing. They were able to get some great photos and a video of the entire thing! 
pittsburgh mt. washington engagement story
Afterward, our families took a bunch of photos and my mom brought out my favorite Veuve Clicquot for us to enjoy celebratory champagne on the overlook!

I didn't even look at the ring for a little while because I was so overwhelmed and when I did, I could not stop looking at it! He had had a ring box made with my future initials on it which I thought was so special because he knows how much I love monograms. Andrew and I had obviously talked about marriage and a proposal while we were dating and while we never tried on rings together or anything like that, I did give him a very clear idea of what I wanted in a ring. He gave me exactly what I wanted and I could not be happier with it!!! It's classic, timeless, and elegant!! 

william penn hotel holiday engagement

omni william penn hotel pittsburgh

pittsburgh engagement story how he asked
We then headed to the William Penn Hotel which is one of my favorite spots in downtown Pittsburgh for more champagne and some food! I was so glad to be with my family and decompress in such a beautiful setting. 

Then, I was surprised with a party my sister and Andrew had worked on setting up! It means so much to me that Andrew included so many people who I hold dear to me throughout the entire night. I value my family and friendships above anything else and to have them with me on the happiest night of my life was everything I could have ever wanted and then some. 
pittsburgh engagement
Eugenia gets married next month!!! 

il tetto pittsburgh

engagement party pittsburgh
We headed to Il Tetto which is a rooftop bar downtown and so many of my friends were there to surprise me! Andrew's friends who were all in town came, too! I had no idea so many people knew for weeks before I did. I was impressed at how well everyone kept the secret. 

We had the best night and everyone ended up coming back to my apartment for late night food. The next morning was a little rough after all of those glasses of champagne but it was so exciting to wake up with a ring on my finger and know it wasn't just a dream! Andrew's friends were coming in for New Year's that morning so I went straight into an entertaining/tour guide mode. It's been nice to have some downtime in the past few days to soak it all in. 

My parents are going to be hosting an engagement party for us and I'm so excited for that as the next wedding-related thing! I have also already ordered my wedding shoes- which I'll wear for all wedding-related events (I'll share in a separate post!). 

Can I just say it is the weirdest thing to say, fiancé?! It just doesn't feel real and to be wearing a ring on my wedding ring finger is so crazy to me! Needless to say, 2019 is going to be the best year yet! I am just so happy. 

If you have made it this far, thanks for sticking with me and sharing in my excitement and happiness. It means so much to be able to share it with all of you!!! 

38 comments:

Colleen Monaghan said...

Congratulations!!! I literally teared up reading your engagement story, it's perfect and so sweet and thoughtful! I have been following along with you since the beginning and just so happy for you and your fiance! Wishing you nothing but the best 2019 and many more years to come!

Colleen xo

Gina said...

What a sweet engagement story. And, what a thoughtful guy Andrew is! Congratulations, I can't wait to follow along!

Pepa said...

Big congrats again, Sidney!! This is such a sweet, romantic, exciting, and lovely story! Getting engaged then married were two of the most memorable and wonderful experiences in my life, and I hope they are for you too!! I wish you both all the happiness in the world!!

Stephanie said...

Oh so happy for you and Andrew!!! Our daughter got married last year and it was such a wonderful and beautiful whirlwind... I’m looking forward to re-living it through your eyes! Happy planning, congratulations and best wishes to you both!

Maureen said...

What a wonderful way to start the New Year! We'll all enjoy following along w/ you on this marvelous journey! Andrew is a very lucky young man!

MaggieMcCurdy said...

Congratulations, Sydney!!! Such an exciting time and sounds like such a thoughtful proposal. Cheers!!

Ellen | A Pop of Pink said...

Congratulations on your engagement, Sydney! This is going to sound so weird, but I saw your parents outside of the Omni when I was in Pittsburgh that night. We actually stayed in the Omni William Penn that same Friday! Would've been fun to bump into you.

Ellen | A Pop of Pink

Laura said...

Congratulations!! Such a special and exciting time! So happy for you both!

Kelsey said...

Congrats!! So happy for you!

Kelsey
Whenitallgoessouth.com

Anonymous said...

You are the best! What an awesome story and I am so so happy for you! Thank you for being willing to share this exciting part of your life with us! Can't wait to follow along with all of the festivities and events!!

Shannon

Jen said...

So sweet, congrats Sydney! Enjoy every second of it :)

Jen said...

So sweet, congrats Sydney! Enjoy every second of it.

Tracy said...

What a sweet and thoughtful proposal! He clearly put a lot of thought into what would make this a special night for you. Joy is all over your face and your ring - wow - it is stunning and very much you.

Congratulations!

Kelly said...

Ahhhhh YAY!!!!! Thank you for switching up things so we can all marvel at your sweet engagement story a day early! How perfect!! It's so sweet that he thought through everything (and worried about your manicure!). Excited to hear more of your wedding in the year to come!

Sharon R said...

Congratulations! So happy for you both. Such a sweet story, it brought tears to my eyes. I know your wedding will be beautiful, elegant, and timeless, but more importantly, your priorities are in the right place. Your love for family and what matters the most shines through.

Annsterw said...

Congrats!!! What a beautiful engagement! My proposal happened on Mt Washington also!! So cool! So happy for you both!

Anonymous said...

So very happy for you!
Congrats and much happiness always!!!

Kathy
: )

Net - "It's a Wonderful Movie" said...

Congratulations, Sydney! I'm so happy for you & Andrew! You make such a lovely couple! What a beautiful moment to have all your family around when he surprised you with the engagement. Your ring is lovely, and I can't wait to see your new wedding shoes and hear all the details! Happy New Year!

Blessings to you both and your family! Net

Anonymous said...

Congratulations Sydney! You make such a beautiful couple. This bring back such great memories of when I got engaged. It’s such an exciting time! Your ring is stunning and timeless! Best wishes! Looking forward to following along on the wedding planning journey!

Unknown said...

Congratulations, Sydney! So excited for you! Enjoy every moment of this special time because it truly will fly by!

Unknown said...

Congratulations, Sydney! So excited for you! Enjoy every moment of this special time because it truly will fly by!

Carly said...

Such a perfect engagement Syd! So so excited for you and Andrew and all that’s to come!! A night at the ChickenBox this summer to celebrate?! Lol - congrats again to you both! Xoxo

Anonymous said...

So exciting! Your ring is gorgeous, and I love all the candid photos from your special night. Wedding planning is so much fun, enjoy every minute!

Julie said...

Congrats!! I just recently got engaged as well! Enjoy every moment!!

3 Peanuts said...

So happy for you Sydney!!!!!! what a fabulous engagement and to share it surrounded by all of that love is really perfect, I feel like I have been here from the beginning and I am just thrilled to see you getting the things you want in life...your house and a life partner. I wish you all the very best. Your ring is beautiful!!!

Kendall Matto said...

There are none more deserving! Congrats, Sydney!

Brenna said...

This is the sweetest story! I'm so happy for you! I had always wondered if you had a boyfriend and suspected that you were keeping it private! I am looking forward to hearing more about him and your relationship over the next phase of your engagement!

Unknown said...

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this story!!! There is something so special about having your family and friends so involved in your engagement! When my husband asked me he did things very similar to this and I am forever grateful for the memories!! It was the best surprise ever!!!

Looking forward to following along on your journey to the altar! I know your wedding will be AMAZING!!!

Congrats!! :)

Deanna Tomaselli said...

Congratulations, Sydney! Loved this post - how sweet. And your ring is AMAZING! Wishing you so much happiness! Deanna

Mariah Rickard said...

Ah! I am seriously so excited for you! I had no idea you were seeing someone and I always wondered about it. So glad to see and hear how happy you are.

http://moosmusing.com

Anonymous said...

I had a feeling you were getting engaged that day! After you posted that you got a manicure with your family, I just knew. So happy for you! I appreciate that you kept your relationship off the blog for so long, and I'm excited to hear about your future together. Wishing you a blissful engagement and even happier marriage.

Cee Cee from KY said...

Congratulations, Sydney! You two make a very sweet couple and your excitement is contagious. Looking forward to watching you plan your day!

Bridget -The Preppy Desk said...

So so happy for you and Andrew! What a wonderful night and thoughtful plan he had. Can't wait to hear more about you two and the wedding plans. Enjoy this time. It really is such a special time of your life and one of the only when it's truly all about you two! Best wishes!
~Bridget

Unknown said...

I have been following you for years - you were one of the very first blogs I started following - and I have always admired your style and the way you conduct yourself and always seem to have a positive attitude. You look so happy, and I'm so happy you get your happily every after and wish all the best for you and your fiancé!

Jane P. said...

Congratulations!!!!! That was a beautiful engagement story! I’m glad you had such an unforgettable experience! Can’t wait to see all your pre-wedding blog posts!!!
~ Jane

Anonymous said...

stunning ring, beautiful story,i am so very happy for you both , I do love a classic ring

Chic in Carolina said...

Congratulations to you and Andrew! So exciting!

xoxo,
Katie
chicincarolina.blogspot.com 

kellie said...

Oh, I just love this and am so happy for you!!
What a wonderful surprise and beautiful location.
Your ring is absolutely stunning -- and it looks just like mine! (hahaha!) totally classic! Only I got engaged 18 years ago on St. Patricks day!
Congratulations and enjoy all the planning and togetherness. This is such a fun time that doesn't have to be stressful.
I can't wait to follow you along the way!

 

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