I have news
I’m getting married!
I can’t believe how my life has changed in the last year. I never expected to meet anyone so soon after feeling so heartbroken, and when I signed up for match.com in November, I didn’t really believe I’d find anyone. People to go out with? Yes. But someone I would love? Hardly. But here we are, only eight months later and not only am I in love, but I’m engaged.
The Giraffe and I never really avoided the topic of marriage. I think we’ve been talking about the possibility from the beginning – maybe that happens when you get to a certain age. Over the summer we started to talk more and more seriously about it, even discussing the details of a wedding. Pretty soon we were talking about potential wedding dates, and then we had to stop and ask ourselves how serious we were about this. Turns out, pretty damn serious.
A while ago our friend Erica (E – get a website so I can link to you!), an aspiring photographer, said she was always looking for ‘models’ to practice on. I never planned on doing an actual engagement session like many couples do, but I thought it’d be fun to pose for a fake one anyway. So on July 19 we did a (free) faux engagement photo session. At that point we knew we wanted to get married, but we hadn’t used the term “engaged” yet. One passerby saw us posing for photos and asked, “engagement session?” Well sort of, we answered. And it was that night that we decided to officially consider ourselves engaged.
Soon after, we both bought engagement rings. I got permission to pick his out with no help from him, and we picked out mine together (I had something VERY specific in mind!), and we split the cost. His is titanium with a black walnut inlay. Mine is white gold with a cushion cut green amethyst. His came in last week, and I got mine yesterday. I pretty much love it.
We’ve started planning a wedding, but nothing is for sure yet. We are both determined to keep it low-stress and low-budget because the actual wedding is just not worth a lot of anxiety or cash to us. After seeing how much work my sister’s and friends’ wedding were/are and how much drama surrounds them, we’re more determined than ever to keep it simple. We’ve even discussed the possibility of elopement or a trip to the court house.
No matter what we do, we’re both very, very happy.
(Also, my baby sister proposed to her boyfriend in July, and another sister was proposed to last night. So now one of us is married and three of us are engaged. There’s a seven year age difference between the four of us, but somehow we all met our match at the same time. So weird.)
Aw, congratulations! That’s so amazing and I’m so happy for you!
Wow, Congratulations! I’m a new reader but have loved your posts so far. I wish you both much happiness!
Oh my, oh my! Congratulations!!! I’m so happy for you…and you’re happiness. Cheers!
Holy crap! That is so freaking exciting, Shannon! Congrats to you two! And I’m obsessed with him getting an engagement ring:)
Yay! Congratulations! The engagement pictures are way cute. The bench one is my favorite.
You should elope to California!
OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG! WOW! I’ve been meaning to pop on over here to tell you how excited I am that you found such an awesome guy – a guy who loves to cook, no less! – and today I see this VERY EXCITING NEWS! CONGRATS! I am beyond thrilled for you and your Giraffe. And such awesome pics, too!
xo Jen
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Congrats, S & G! Congrats and congrats! May I suggest a small NYC wedding in, say, Aug. 2010, surrounded by your closest blogging pals?
dudes! congratulations!!!!
Congratulations! I’ve enjoyed following along the journey. And your ring is SO beautiful!
Rob and I were taking bets on how soon you guys were going to be engaged!!! (the pictures E took pushed to date up for us) Congratulations.
I hope the titanium ring works for the Giraffe. Rob had an allergic reaction to his and is currently ring less.
Congratulations! I know I don’t “know” you, but I’m so so very happy for you!
Oh Shannon – you made me cry! This was not the post I was expecting when I checked your blog today, and it’s such wonderful news. Congrats to both of you – what a cute couple you are! So happy for you! (How could you wait this long to tell us?!?
)
Whoa, you are secret keeper! Awesome. You did it! Alright. Teh-he.
Yay! Congratulations!
Your ring is *gorgeous*!!
Congrats Shannon! I’m very happy for you! AND I LOVE YOUR RING!!
Congratulations you two! You deserve the best, and I’m really glad you found eachother!
HAPPINESS! Congrats.
Hooraytown! You know I’m serious when I add “town” to the end of anything.
You know how excited I am for you, girl!!! Lots of love.
Congratulations!! Much happiness to the both of you. Your path to each other wasn’t an easy one to travel but it was the one you needed to walk before you could hold each other’s hands.
Shannon! Congrats to both of you! The pictures are gorgeous! I highly recommend a simple wedding/elopement.
Dear Shannon,
SQUEAL!
The ring is beautiful! The picture is beautiful! The wedding’s going to be beautiful! You’re beautiful!
Whatever you decide to do, make sure to take some pictures.
Love,
Stephanie
PS-Might I point out that Saratoga Springs is absolutely gorgeous in autumn? Also that autumn weddings are awesome? Just saying…
Dear Giraffe,
Good job calling dibs. You lucky son of a bitch.
Love,
Stephanie
PS-Don’t worry, you’ll be beautiful, too.
PPS-Also, congratulations.
oh my gosh!! congratulations
and i LOVE that you decided to get engaged while shooting a fake engagement session, oh my gosh, LOVE!!
beautiful photos! xoxox
CONGRATS!!! This is such big news! And now the real fun begins…
Your ring is GORGEOUS!!! I’m in actual love with it.
Congrats! I’ve felt like when you’ve been talking about your sisters’ engagement you were hinting at it, but I’m so glad it’s official.
Beautiful! Congratulations!
This is awesome Shannon. I’m so happy for you! The rings are awesome!
WHAT?! OMG!!! You see what happens when I don’t check my google reader for a couple of days.
CONGRATS!!!!!! Your ring is BEAUTIFUL!
*delurking*
Congratulations! The photos are beautiful!
*re-lurking*
Holy crap! Congrats! This is so exciting. Love the rings and I am absolutely in love with your photos!
Seriously – there are no rules when it comes to falling in love. I’m so happy that you met an awesome guy!
Congratulations! I’m pretty much a lurker here but I commented last summer when you were down, saying that I was experiencing the same thing.
Now we are both engaged and so happy! I’m very happy for you both, he seems great and I’m sure you’ll have many, many years of happiness together!
By the way, could I say happy much more in one comment? I don’t think so. Plus, I love your ring!
Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God! Seriously, Shannon.. Oh my God! Congratulations, dear. You so deserve this and I’m so unbelievably happy for you!
CONGRATULATIONS! CONGRATULATIONS! CONGRATULATIONS!
(Ok, somehow I hit submit before I meant to.)
Congrats to both of you! Beautiful rings! Gorgeous people (I can say the Giraffe is a gorgeous person because I know Shan well enough to know she would pick a beautiful person)!
I’m bursting with happiness for you Shannon!
The pictures are beautiful!
(Tell Erica that she can take my pic any time she wants to practice. I’m game and it would give me another reason to visit and actually meet G.)
Congrats! I’m so very happy for you! What wonderful news.
Congratulations!!! The photos are beautiful as are the rings. I had no idea men were doing engagement rings but I love it!
I lurk from Babs blog..Congratulations on the engagement and I love your pics!
Good news. I’m all teary and I don’t even know you people. All best.