We're getting married!

Paul and I met at the local sports bar, where I would sometimes bartend during my nursing school days. It is near the condo where Paul grew up as a child and lived at the time, so for a while, Paul would come in and sit and chat. With time, we grew to know each other as friends. One day, I decided to sit with him after a shift, and after a lot of laughs and enjoying each other's company. That's pretty much when we thought, "Okay. This could be something." He asked me out on our first date soon after that.

We got engaged at the Veranda, and it's where we are getting married! That's how much we love the place. As for the proposal, Paul and I had talked about going to dinner at the Veranda for a while, and when he told me he had a reservation, it wasn’t anything I thought was abnormal. The restaurant was so romantically lit for Christmas, a pianist played and sang, and we sat in the back behind the fireplace. Honestly, it wasn't an extravagant proposal for entertainment. Paul wanted to make it about us two, and he did. After dinner, I went to the bathroom, and when I returned, the crowd had died down, and it was just us two sitting there. A beautifully plated dessert arrived with champagne, and a little black box was sitting on the plate that I bypassed at first. Before I knew it, Paul was down on one knee, and I blacked out from the overwhelming joy I felt, and tears just ran down as we hugged. The funny thing is, of course, Paul almost placed the ring on the wrong hand, but that’s just another reason why I love him. Also, fun fact, and another reason why we love this place, Paul’s mother Kathryn and stepfather Al had their wedding reception at the Veranda 20 years ago. We think it’s a beautiful sentiment to share this space with so much love and light.