We’re getting married!

Geniene and I first met in 2014. Since we both work in eyecare, we would occasionally bump into each other when she would visit my office. The occasional "hello" and smile were the only real interactions we ever had. A couple of years went by without our path's crossing; that is until March of 2021. While at my office for work, she stopped by to say “hi” before going upstairs, and we had nice conversation. Later that night, I see that she had requested to follow me on Instagram. Not thinking much of it, life went on. The weeks following may have included me sending her fire emojis when she'd post a picture of girls night out, and her sending heart eyes when I'd post the guys and I on the boat. One day I finally worked up the nerve to respond to one of her stories asking how I can get in on the fun, and Geniene said, "You just have to ask!" So that's exactly what I did. The following week we met up for a drink, talked for hours, and now we're getting married!

The morning of December 4, 2021 was like any other Saturday morning; pick-up coffee, go for a bike ride, fold laundry, the usual…or so Geniene thought. Unbeknownst to her, her best friends and I were working to create something so special and secretive, that even Geniene would be surprised (and if you know her well, you know that is nearly impossible). The week leading up to the proposal, I had been playing up how stressed I was from work, and no matter what, I wanted to go out to the beach to catch a sunset that Saturday. So we made some half-hearted plans to go to the beach and grab dinner afterwards. Geniene had a long week herself, and had hurt her foot at the gym earlier that week, so by the time Saturday rolled around, she was content with just staying home and resting on the couch instead. I was determined to go to the beach, and being so supportive, she happily obliged. I had the perfect spot in mind, but getting her there was going to be tricky. I had to get her south and to the exact spot without tipping her off. My boss graciously offered to meet me at the office (closer to where we going) so I could turn over some "important reports". After leaving the office, I said "why don't we go to Lido Beach for the sunset; it's my favorite" and she agreed. After fighting downtown traffic and seeing the sun sink lower and lower, we finally made it. While walking out on to the beach, she noticed a picnic set-up and commented how cute it was. As we walked past it a little further, I pulled her back towards it and went down on one knee. After God knows how long of babbling, I asked her: "So will you?” And she responded: "Will I what?" I finally asked, and she finally said yes! After my buddy took a few pictures of us down by the water, we started walking back towards the picnic and were welcomed by our families and close friends, which was all a surprise to her. The sun fading into a picturesque sky, was almost as perfect as our evening!