In July of 2010, Michael and I went to Paris and Amsterdam, we were going to all the museums in Amsterdam and decided to stop into the Coster Diamond museum.  Mike asked me to come upstairs and very unexpectedly said that he knew he wanted to spend the rest of our lives together and wanted to make our trip to Amsterdam special.  He turned to the display case and said “pick one-pick a loose diamond to have a ring made.” 

For a year he worked with my Aunt and her best friend (a ring designer) to create my ring.  

On Monday night (almost a year later) we were unpacking boxes from the move and he started talking about how life is short and we could spend the entire summer setting up the house and the business but that would mean that we didn’t make time to enjoy us and creating something new together.  He said, “why don’t we go out tonight and celebrate our 8-year anniversary (of the day we met the 21st). I will take you to the best restaurant in the entire area.”

It was one of the best dinners I have ever had.  I started to cry and told him that I was thrilled about our next adventure (the business) and that I loved him and was happy that we were in a good place.  He got on his knee and said “I think so too.”  I started laughing and told him to get up. Mike jokes around all the time getting on his knee in a fake proposal since we have lived together so many years.  It is the running joke that we aren’t married yet.  But this time, he pulled out the ring he designed and said “it is time.”   The restaurant had a stool ready for him to kneel on and everything.

We are getting married in 9.14.13 at The Inn at Erlowest.    We decided on Erlowest because it is was so intimate and we want a gathering that feels like a family reunion.  We are renting the full property -inn, villas and townhouses so that we can fulfill that vision of a family reunion atmosphere.

-Gina