I am by no means easy to surprise. Many have tried and failed. But exactly two years ago, Loren pulled off the biggest surprise of my life when he asked me to be his wife.
Loren had recently started his senior year of college and I was working full time. We had been trying to take a day trip to Charleston, SC (my favorite city) with another couple for quite some time, and had planned to go October 5. Coincidentally (or so I thought), one of my best friends, Joy, also asked me if I wanted to take a girls day trip to Charleston on that same day. Unbeknownst to me, to make it all seem like coincidence, Loren had arranged for her to ask me before he told me that our other friends had to cancel at the last minute due to a family emergency. Since Joy is a rather spontaneous person and also loves to go to Charleston, I thought nothing of it.
So after finding out our other friends had to cancel, it was decided that I would take a girls day trip with Joy and Steph. I assumed Loren would be working, as he usually did every Saturday. We headed out Saturday morning, of course stopped for coffee, and had a fun 3 hour road trip to the best city ever. Joy kept texting "Jordan" the whole way down (well, Steph did since Joy was driving) . "Jordan" was actually Loren, but since Joy has a couple of friends named Jordan, I once again thought nothing of it. Turns out "Jordan" was also on his way down to Charleston with my sister and her family to set up the spot where he would propose.
We got to Charleston around 11am. Joy had a few places she wanted to go once we got to Charleston, and the Battery/Waterfront Park was were she wanted to stop first. We started walking that way. Once again, Joy was texting "Jordan" the whole time about something "important" (where we were).
Loren had recently started his senior year of college and I was working full time. We had been trying to take a day trip to Charleston, SC (my favorite city) with another couple for quite some time, and had planned to go October 5. Coincidentally (or so I thought), one of my best friends, Joy, also asked me if I wanted to take a girls day trip to Charleston on that same day. Unbeknownst to me, to make it all seem like coincidence, Loren had arranged for her to ask me before he told me that our other friends had to cancel at the last minute due to a family emergency. Since Joy is a rather spontaneous person and also loves to go to Charleston, I thought nothing of it.
So after finding out our other friends had to cancel, it was decided that I would take a girls day trip with Joy and Steph. I assumed Loren would be working, as he usually did every Saturday. We headed out Saturday morning, of course stopped for coffee, and had a fun 3 hour road trip to the best city ever. Joy kept texting "Jordan" the whole way down (well, Steph did since Joy was driving) . "Jordan" was actually Loren, but since Joy has a couple of friends named Jordan, I once again thought nothing of it. Turns out "Jordan" was also on his way down to Charleston with my sister and her family to set up the spot where he would propose.
We got to Charleston around 11am. Joy had a few places she wanted to go once we got to Charleston, and the Battery/Waterfront Park was were she wanted to stop first. We started walking that way. Once again, Joy was texting "Jordan" the whole time about something "important" (where we were).
We stopped for pictures along the Battery, then stepped into the gazebo in Waterfront Park for some more pictures.
And then Loren walked up!
And then Loren walked up!
As soon as Loren walked up, I knew what was going down. I was just so in shock that he was right here in front of me when he was supposed to be at work back in Greenville (he had even texted me a picture while at "work")! He took my hand and asked me if he could show me something. We walked off to a special tree where he had set up several picture frames with pictures of us from the past year of dating.
We sat on a blanket under the tree and Loren asked if he could read me a book he had written and illustrated titled "I Need to Tie My Shoe" (the title comes from back when he was little and thought it would be an awesome idea to pretend to tie his shoe and then pop the question). The book was our story, about how much he had enjoyed getting to know me, etc. Then he got to the page that read "I love you, Heidi Elise" and handed me the book while he got down on one knee, pulled out the most perfect ring and asked me to marry him! I shyly said "yes!", still trying to process that this was really happening.
Eventually, we sat back down, read the book again and talked a bit before I noticed that Crystal was hiding behind one of the canons in the park taking pictures the whole time. We made our way over to her, Joel and the other girls and took a few more pictures.
Eventually, we sat back down, read the book again and talked a bit before I noticed that Crystal was hiding behind one of the canons in the park taking pictures the whole time. We made our way over to her, Joel and the other girls and took a few more pictures.
And that's how we got engaged. We spent the rest of the day eating the special lunch Loren's brother Jonathan had prepared for us, exploring Charleston and celebrating that evening at a fancy waterfront restaurant while trying to soak in that we were really getting married and enjoying the most perfect day.
Here we are two years later just over a year into marriage ... and I wouldn't change anything.
Thanks for the best surprise ever, babe! I love you!
And thanks to all who made this best surprise and most amazing day possible!
Here we are two years later just over a year into marriage ... and I wouldn't change anything.
Thanks for the best surprise ever, babe! I love you!
And thanks to all who made this best surprise and most amazing day possible!