I expected it, but not on the day it happened. To understand this, you must first understand Woody. When Woody gets excited about something, he immediately tells people about it. This means he told me the moment he asked my mom and Grams for permission (3 months prior to his proposal date). Originally I thought, “What a flipping goober!” but heck, how admirable to loudly share your happiness, instead of holding it in.

The problem was after he shared his excitement he continued to fake propose over following months (insert eye-roll here!). Getting down on one knee to itch his foot, tie his shoe, put on socks. He found enjoyment in throwing me off his scent.

The morning in question came the day after Thanksgiving. As I got ready for a photography session, he showed me some movie trailer. It was an incredibly sad movie about love and commitment. I ended up teary eyed. He got down on one knee in front of me and ….. scratched his shin. Frustrated, and now late, I playfully smacked him on the arm and left.

After the session, I made my way back home and added the finishing touches to my oatmeal. As I placed the peanut butter back on the shelf, he asked if I could hand him the jar. I turned around to hand it to him and saw him down on one knee. Immediately I laughed. Twice in one day? That is just overdoing it! Then I saw the ring. (Side note: it was his grandmother’s!).

All I remember is looking down and seeing his hands shake.
While he spoke he looked at me. Those beautiful blue eyes so full of excitement and wonder; I only assume it was some form of magic.

This man, kneeling before me, didn’t ask if I would be his, nor if I would make him the happiest man alive. Instead, he asked if I would give him the honor to enhance his happiness.

Obviously, I said yes. Yes to the lifetime of a commitment, cooperation, and communication. A life of writing an adventure together in an entirely new book. One that will celebrate the change within us both, as each chapter unfolds.

There are so many facets to love that stem from my profession, I always assumed this answer would be a hard one. But as I looked at the man kneeling before me, my heart was light. We discussed our fears and our doubts. We constantly are excited about each other’s accomplishments, and push to make the other better. Any hesitation I may have had growing up was demolished. Love, regardless of the definition, is at the core of everything we do, and for that it was an easy answer.

Ironically enough, those are the qualities I look for in my couples. Yes, us fitting personality-wise is important so to create a stress-free wedding day, but how you describe your love means so much. Your “why” creates that foundation for everything you do, and for your entire wedding story. So, engaged, dating, or just loving yourself right now, I encourage you to ask yourself: What is your why? Find it, hone it, and watch it transform your relationships.

 

The Featured photo in the beginning of this post was taken by our own beautiful soul of a photographer: Jenna Greenawalt. All others in this post are from Marissa Decker Photography!

xoxo // Mariss