Ahhh, finally! The post from 2012 I skipped over & have been looking to recount ever since, so here it is...
August 6, 2012 is in the running for the best day of my life. In the days prior, the hunk and I had driven from Alabama to Arizona, seen all kinds of landmarks and misc. cool stuff, watched my best friend get married to the best guy in the most beautiful spot ever (see:
here), spent some time in Phoenix visiting with two of my fabulous vintage ladyfriends, Rachel, owner of
Wasited Vintage and Cory, owner of
Meat Market Vintage (vintage ladies are the best!), explored the cute little hippie town of Jerome, Arizona and finally, after ALL that fun, we made it to one of the few places in the US that I have dreamed about visiting since I was a child and never seen: The Grand Canyon.
Let me tell you something: When people say the Grand Canyon is the most amazing thing they've ever seen, they are not exaggerating. It is remarkable beyond description. There is just no way to capture the sheer beauty of it in a picture. It absolutely took my breath away. I actually almost cried. It was everything I dreamed it would be and more. Much more. Unbelievable, seriously.
So, we hike the trails all day, checking it out from every possible angle we could. I took, I don't know, 25,000 pictures or so. We meet some new friends. Right about the time I was about ready to take a break, Nathan walks over to the edge of a huge cliff and sits down. Now, I loved the Grand Canyon. I do not love heights. I was a little squeamish about it, but he asked me to come sit beside him and I did. We sat there for awhile, mostly laughing and smooching and reveling in the beauty of where we were sitting. Once I admitted that I was scared of where we were sitting, we backed up a little to a ledge that seemed like a much safer place for me to sit. He stayed standing. (This will be an important detail in a minute.)
The sun started to set and I was just overwhelmed. Just when I thought the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen could not get more beautiful, it did. Sunset at the Grand Canyon...my goodness. It was such a special moment that I was absolutely delighted to share with my very favorite person. And then...out of nowhere, he gets down on his knee, reaches into his pocket and presents me with the most beautiful piece of jewelry I have ever seen in my entire life: the PERFECT engagement ring. (What I found out later to be an 1920s estate piece from my favorite jewelry store!) I couldn't take it anymore. I just started crying.
I didn't even give him a chance to say anything, I whip out the camera and snap a picture. Yes, I did that. I don't know why. It just seemed like the right thing to do at the time. He looked a little puzzled by my reaction. (See photo.) He says to me: "I love you so much. I can't imagine my life without you in it. Please be my wife." Of course, I said yes! In true cautious Nathan fashion, he says "Let's back up a little bit & then you can put your ring on!" He didn't want me to drop it down the canyon! (which was probably a pretty good call, considering my hands were shaking!) We sat in that spot, now probably my favorite spot in this world, and watched the sun set completely. Afterwards, we walked around some more in the dark, while I showed my new ring to anybody and everybody that passed us.
We eventually left and I convinced him to drive around until I could get a cell signal so I could call and tell everyone. Of course, everyone was excited to hear the news, although apparently, they all knew what was going on! We stopped at the Grand Canyon General Store for champagne and dinner supplies & then spent the most wonderful night ever celebrating...cooking and camping at the Grand Canyon with the love of my life. Does it get any better than that?!?
So, that's that. The perfect day. Now, I'm the future Mrs. Kelley & I couldn't be happier! I am going to marry my soulmate at the beach this September & I am having the best time planning the wedding. Of course, it's going to be vintage. Of course, it's going to be bohemian fabulous. Of course, all of our lovely friends and family will be there!
I just can't wait. If you want to follow our wedding planning process, be sure to follow the blog. Pretty, pretty wedding posts are coming! Here are some of our pictures from our very special day. Hope you enjoy them!
Cheers,
Savannah Marie
