My Fiance and I met in June 2010. Our first date he went for a 4 mile run with me called the Twilight 4 miler. All of my friends had ditched because it was a 108 degree heat index. Needless to say thanks to running 8 miles that morning and not getting enough food in I bonked. We went to dinner at Red Robin and spent half the night up talking. I knew by the end of that date he was the one.
After 18 months of dating in February 2012 we went to buy our engagement stone just days before my birthday. It was a beautiful 1.96 carat sapphire from the Umba Valley in Tanzania Parti or Alexandrite Color change. The stone was a round brilliant cut like a 2 carat diamond. I was 100% excited.
FI waited 2 months to send the stone to Krikawa who would set it because the setting like the stone was pricey. We got bad news the feather inclusion when magnified 1000 times was a fracture, and the setting that we had chosen was too high tension just setting it could break the stone. We had Krikawa send us information on the stones they had in stock, and they had one beauty that I fell for. They shipped us the stone for inspection and FI was absolutely giddy because it was even bigger than the first. I felt she was a huge iceberg of a stone but it made him so happy I said ok go with it. The new stone also came from Umba it too is a color change but not full alexandrite. It shifts between purples and sometimes does burgundy or olive green depending on the light.
The stone took longer than we expected to be set due to the design changes that FI requested for me. I wanted the wings to be longer than the standard wings on this ring so they'd look more realistic and that lead to issues. They broke the wings on the first casting. In the end the final product came and my FI was elated.
During this time we set a date for our wedding, and kept hush about it. I bought a beautiful Joy Houston dress for $900 that originally was $3600! I started looking at venues and found frustrations abound.
In July my Fiance gave me a formal proposal though we felt engaged already this was important to him. He took me to a beautiful park in western NY called Swallow Hollow first thing in the morning on the 15th. He chose this spot because he went here a lot for hikes as a child and had good family memories. He also knew that since my grandmother's death Dragonflies had become spiritually significant to me. Me, my daughter, and my Fiance went out on this hike. We took photos looked at little bugs which I love; saw turtle eggs, and frogs. FI decided to deviate off the path into a clearing surrounded by beautiful fir trees. He told me to sit down on a log and close my eyes. He placed in my hands a beautiful Beatle Box and within it was my engagement ring. He said his beautiful words about how this was the church god intended not a building but here where the miracles are created. He asked my daughter if he could marry me and then asked me. I cried so beautiful.
Over the next few months I spent a lot of time continuing my venue search to become frustrated beyond belief with costs and family politics. My FI who initially said no Disney finally said enough we're going to Disney. We looked at a larger wedding but due to family and my wants for a house we nixed that and have decided to do an Escape package. We are hoping for 10-13-2012 but we will have to wait and see. We plan to do a formal dinner, so please make suggestions of where we should consider eating, and then an Illuminations Dessert party. I'm hoping to get married at the Sea Breeze Point Gazebo.
I will be doing a Nightmare Before Christmas Theme for my wedding. Our colors will be purple and orange. I'm hoping to do jack-o-lanterns as aisle and alter decorations. These will be carved by my family and friends at a welcome party. We will also do MNSSHP and Epcot food and wine with some of our friends while we are down there. We may do a backstage animal kingdom tour by ourselves too.
As developments continue I will post information here. I am considering staying at the Poly this time since we've never been there and it looks beautiful. I also can't wait to try the new Be Our Guest restaurant. I'm hoping to do a girls night out at DTD with my girlfriends and eat at Reglan Road.
Pi}{ie
Member of the ANRF Running Team. As a warrior of arthritis I encourage you to help us end this disease: http://www.active.com/donate/Racing4ACure/Run4Arthritis
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Absolutely gorgeous ring and such a lovely story! Best of luck with your planning! 
It wasn't just you.
