How is it already Monday again? Are the days flying by for anyone else? I celebrated my first Mother’s Day yesterday with a delicious bagel spread from Call Your Mother, flowers from She Loves Me, a sweet slideshow of pictures and videos we’ve accumulated over the last 11 months, and a little extra relaxation as Justin took over most of the parenting duties yesterday.
We have another super sweet and sentimental surprise proposal today. As I mentioned last week, I love surprise proposals! You can read about how I spoiled my own proposal (multiple times) here. Poor Justin – he couldn’t catch a break with me! But keep reading to see how Scott pulled off one of the best surprise proposals, flush with personal touches relating to how they met, and their relationship.
Scott and Lindsay’s story started 4 years and 3 days prior to their engagement at the bar, Hawthorne on U St. At the time, Lindsay was working on her Master’s in Art Therapy at Florida State University, and visiting friends in DC. They both ended up at Hawthorne for mutual friends’ holiday party when fate truly brought them together. Lindsay and her friends were playing a game that night called “odds are”. It involves one person daring another person to do something, counting down “3, 2, 1…” and then both people say a number between 1-10. Only if they say the exact same number, do they have to go through with the dare. On a dare to “unbutton that random guy’s shirt button”, Lindsay hit the odds, and Scott happened to be “that random guy”. After she went through with it, it truly was love at first sight. The two of them hit it off, dancing the night away until the bar shut down. Scott knew right away this was something special, and would not be discouraged by her being in school in Florida.
Being the artist she is, Lindsay joked with Scott for living in DC and not going to the newly renovated Renwick Gallery, her favorite one. Scott took the opportunity to ask her to go there for their first date while she was still in town for the holidays. Fast forward four years, made up of long distance, living in Dupont Circle and then Arlington, VA, Scott was finally ready to propose, and orchestrated what truly was a dream proposal, and a walk down memory lane.
Scott told Lindsay they were headed to the White House for a Christmas tour, the perfect distraction to get her back to the place they had their first date, the Renwick Gallery. As they got to the top of the stairs inside, Scott dropped to a knee, shocking Lindsay, and himself, at how emotional he was. Untraditionally, as Scott opened the ring box and instead of a ring, Scott had planted a button in its’ place. He then stood up unbuttoned a button on his shirt where he had hooked and hidden the ring. Lindsay melted and was on cloud nine, amazed at what Scott had pulled off. They celebrated with a short round of applause from the Renwick patrons. Scott then turned Lindsay to introduce her to Sarah, a photographer from Nova Soul Imagery, who beautifully captured their day. Scott told Lindsay to trust him, he had the whole day planned, and it was just getting started.
After a brief photo shoot and soaking up their moment at the Renwick Gallery, they moved to the “2nd Photo Shoot Location”, to the place they first met, Hawthorne on U St. After a few pictures outside, they went to the 3rd floor, the floor they met on, where the words “you are exactly where you need to be” have coincidentally been painted on the wall since that night they met. Next, they made their way to the roof for one last surprise. Scott had organized their parents, Scott’s sisters, and 30-40 of their closest friends from the area to be waiting for them at the top of the stairs. Another truly genuine surprise, Lindsay couldn’t contain herself that Scott had kept this all a secret from her. The area was decked out with decorations, posters, even button cookies. Scott even made sure Hawthorne was serving the same specialty cocktail as the night they met.
Scott gave a brief toast, thanking all in attendance and in the end, struggling to hold it together, as he ended with, “Lindsay is one the most kind and loving people I know, and I’m just happy that one of those things she loves is me.”
