For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul.




A rekindling experience of love through imagery.

Friday, September 9, 2011

Engagement Story Contest Part 1 | Monroe Files Photography DuBois, PA

Ok gang! Here is the first installment of stories to feast your romantic hearts on! Originally, I had planned on narrowing it down to 5 based on categories. However. Each category was not represented in the submissions I received. SO...I said to heck with the categories! Anyone who took the time to submit their story and photo are in it to win it!! BOO-YHAA!! (Bet you're wishing you submitted your story, huh?) =]

Keep checking back right HERE to see when the polls open for voting!
Please note that couples are listed randomly and in no specific order.

Roxy & Shawn

"Shawn and I had been together for a little over two years. 
He always told me that he didn't want to get married until he had a house of his own. 
Obviously, I started house-searching soon after that comment.  After months of looking
at houses, putting in bids, and buying kitchen utensils and storing them in my
childhood bedroom, we finally bought a house together.  I thought this
meant the engagement was coming soon. 

After living together over 6 months, I was starting to get frustrated. Easter weekend,
we went to visit my mom in New York.  On our last day there, we stopped to
visit my grandparents.  Although I did have a "promise ring," my grandma spent
the day ragging Shawn that he "needed to put a ring on my finger."  I was starting
to feel bad for him because she was not letting off. 

We got home Saturday night and were supposed to go out with some of Shawn's friends
who were in town.  I was getting ready and Shawn came in and told me there was
something on the bed for me.  I went into the room as he went out to the kitchen.  On the bed
was a plastic Easter egg.  I opened it up to find my favorite candy (raspberry and
blackberry gummy candies) and in the middle of the candies was my beautiful ring. 
He came into the bedroom and got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.  :) :)
I cried, said yes, hugged him, and blast texted everyone I knew a picture of the ring. 
He told me afterwards that he was planning on waiting until Easter morning,
but all of his friends knew his plans and he was afraid they would spill
the beans after a few too many beverages. :)"

***


Mitchel & Katie

"I met my fiancé Katie on plentyoffish.com and we have been together
now for almost two years.  We are getting married on March 10, 2012
and our engagement was definitely interesting. 

I got my hands on this old custom ring that has a heart shaped setting and is
definitely one of a kind.  The thing about it was, it didn't have a diamond.  I had
my hands on the ring for about a week and it was burning a hole in my pocket…
but I didn't know exactly what kind of diamond to put in it.

Labor Day weekend I decided I'm going to do it and told all my buddies what I
was going to do and they laughed. 

Katie and I were sitting there on Sunday night just watching movies. I was so
nervous because I was really going to ask her to marry me with a ring that didn't have
a diamond.  I decided “well here goes nothing” and said, ‘hey we need to talk’ and she
asked me what was on my mind. I told her, ‘so you know how I have been saying WHEN
I marry you lately, not IF I marry you’ (because I started saying ‘when we're married’ or
‘when you’re my wife’ and she picked up on it) and I said ‘Well yea…so what do you say?’
 and handed her the box.  She opened the box and started laughing!

And I said ‘hear me out.  I'm off tomorrow with it being Labor Day. Let’s head up to Rossi's
jewelers in the middle of Dubois and you can pick out your own diamond.’  So that was
exciting because I found a one of a kind ring and she got to pick out her cut of diamond.
And to clarify, I'm not a complete looser because the ring had a rock in three days! 
It all worked out and now we are well on our way to start out a great marriage."

***

 

Dawn & Wilber

"Wilbur and I had met at work, dated for a while and things didn’t work out.
So we both went our own ways. I left that job to pursue my career path as a paramedic.
Unknown to me, Wilbur became an EMT and started to work for an ambulance service
nearby. Wilbur was one of the people I thought of all the time and kept wondering if I gave
up on my one chance of happiness. Well a couple years later we were reconnect by a mutual
friend. About a year after that, Wilbur was involved with a tragic call and required some
Critical Incident Stress Debriefing. While talking with the counselor he decided he wanted to
move into the next phase of his life and ask me to marry him.

On July 24, 2007 (my birthday) he took me to dinner at Luigi’s. I knew something was up
because he was a nervous wreck and had his hand in his pocket most of the night. Dinner was
pretty awkward and I could tell he was very nervous. At this point I figured out what was going
on and of course had to act like I didn’t have a clue. Well I was getting excited all through
dinner but dinner came and went and no proposal. So we left Luigi’s and he said he had to
run into Martin’s for a minute. He went in and came out empty handed. At this point I
was very confused.

So we go back to my house and are sitting on the couch. He kept putting his hand in
his pocket and fidgeting around. We are making idle chit chat, once again it is
pretty awkward. Well Kirby, my lab mix, always loved Wilbur. Well that night he was all
over Wilbur and kept sticking his nose into the now famous pocket and kept nudging him.
It is almost as if he was telling him to just do it. I found this hysterical but couldn’t let on
that I knew what was in that pocket. After awhile of this I couldn’t take it anymore
and started to crowd him to one end of the couch and nudging him onto his knee on the floor.

Finally with Kirby and my help, he got onto his knee and asked me to marry him.
Of course, I started to cry (because that is what I do) and he got all teary eyed and I said yes.

Then he proceeds to tell me what the original plans were for the night and
how they back fired. He and some co workers had planned the big night for about a week.
They made a “ring holder” out of plastic and the plan was he was going to excuse himself
to go to the restroom, find a waitress have her put the ring on a piece of cake and bring
it to me. Well that was all fine until they sat us right beside the bathroom so he couldn’t
do that. He thought about getting down on one knee right then and there and doing it,
but said there were too many people and he didn’t comfortable doing it. So we went to
Martin’s and he was going to buy a cupcake and put it on. Well Martin’s didn’t have
any cupcakes, so plan B was shot (what are the chances). So he had to go to plan C,
which he didn’t have. I love how plan C worked out and can’t think of a more special
place to be proposed to. Every day, whether I am watching TV, sweeping the floors or
walking by I get to see the special place where my wonder life as a wife and mother began.

We were married October 18, 2008. On our honeymoon one week later, our son
Ethan Thomas was conceived and our crazy but wonderful life as a family began.
We were not given much of an opportunity to be just husband and wife, instead there
was a bigger plan for us and that was to be mommy and daddy. People say that we
shouldn’t have started our family so soon after getting married but I disagree with them.
Our life turned out perfect and I am truly blessed to have the two most amazing boys
in the world in it."

***

 

Nicole & Casey

"We didn’t have a lot of money to buy a ring but Casey wanted to make sure it was
the perfect one. He searched and searched for about two year when we finally decided to
just book the wedding with the ring. We were ready! We planned our wedding for
November, 2008 in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Casey wouldn’t let me say we were engaged until he had a ring for me and asked for my hand.
The prices in the stores were just too much for us. We finally decided to purchase the ring
on ebay where we could get a deal. Casey did a lot of research on the different sellers,
their feedback, and return policy.

Finally, three months later the perfect one came up, and after a quick bidding war at
the end, it was ours! They were going to size it and send it off in two weeks. A few weeks
later after working an overnight, Casey and I were sleeping in bed when I heard a knock
at the door at 8:30am. Normally I would just ignore it after only going to bed a few
hours earlier, but I had a feeling I knew what it was. I ran to the door and signed
for the package. Casey came out and wouldn’t let me open it. He opened the package
and then the ring box. “Looks good”, he said. Then after torturing me for about an hour
by giving me the box but taking the ring out of he said, “Whelp, I’m going back to bed”!
He said he would ask me when he was good and ready and I had better say yes because
 he was only asking once.

We went back to bed and a few hours later we were up for the day. Casey suggested we
go to Red Lobster for dinner. So I showered and started getting ready. While I was still
in the bathroom straightening my hair, Casey comes in and says, “Bebo, will you marry me?”
I turn and he is on one knee in his white t-shirt, shocks, and underwear!
Of course, I said yes! So, we got engaged while I was in the bathroom and Casey was
in his underwear. Pure Casey style! I wouldn’t have had it any other way!



P.S. I did take the ring to a jeweler in town and they verified the ring was real
and of amazing quality! They wanted to know where we got it but I wouldn’t
give away my secret!"

***

 

Haley & Jim


"On Tuesday August 9, 2011, my boyfriend and I were vacationing with my family
at Atlantic Beach, North Carolina. He had asked me to enjoy a drink on the beach
with him. This wasn't anything out of the ordinary because the night before we had
sat on the beach gazing at the stars together. There was a full moon and it was
beautiful out as we sat on my beach towel and sipped on drinks we talked about how
much we enjoyed our lives with one another. Out of nowhere he got up off of the
towel and wrote in the sand in giant letters, "I Love You" and drew a heart.

I couldn't stop smiling and told him how sweet it was of him to write that message
for me in the sand. He asked me to go for a walk with him along the ocean and to
look for sea shells. We walked along the beach as the waves crashed in at our feet,
every few feet we'd stop and kiss. I told him I wanted to go look for sea shells
and I walked off, little did I know what he was up to when I was looking for sea shells.
He caught up with me, reaching for my hand as we continued our walk.

I asked him if we could start heading back, on our way back to our stuff on the
beach he would stop and kiss me more and more. He kept telling me that he
couldn't imagine his life without me in it and that he would never want to spend a
day without me. He stopped me from walking and hugged me so tight he
whispered in my ear, "I want this moment to last forever!"

He turned me around and said, "I wrote another message in the sand for you!"
As I read the words, "Will you marry me?" wrote in the sand, I turned around and he
was down on one knee with the ring in his hand. He said, "Haley, I absolutely love you,
will you marry me?" As I said, "yes" he slipped the ring on my finger and we
clenched one another in the tightest hug!

After the proposal I found out that he had bought the ring 6 months ago, but was
waiting for "the perfect moment" to give it to me! We cannot wait to marry
one another and we're planning our wedding for next August!"

***


 
Sasha & TJ


"TJ and I had been dating for a year this past Christmas. We both had
spent so much money on his son for Christmas that we didn't get each

other much but a few little things. We were going to Hawaii in the

middle of January and that was our real Christmas presents to each other.

About the middle of November, we started looking at rings that I would

like. We finally found the perfect ring, and decided that he should

buy it. They had to send the ring away for sizing, so I didn't even

get to see it when he bought it. I didn't know that the ring had come

in, and was actually a little bit upset that all I was getting for

Christmas from him was a bottle of perfume. I thought for sure, that

he would propose to me when we were on the beach in Hawaii on vacation.

On Christmas morning, everyone had opened all of their presents and
had deserted the room that the Christmas tree was in at his mom's

house. I was finishing cleaning up the rest of the wrapping paper

that my step son and niece had everywhere when he sent his son out of

the room with his sister, and he said he had one more present for me.

And there on the Christmas tree was a little gold wrapped box that he
grabbed and opened as he got down on one knee took my hand, tears
filled my eyes as he said, "Sasha, will you marry me?" , I said "Yes"

and was bawling as I gave him the biggest bear hug ever. He couldn't

breath because I was squeezing him so hard! I was so excited and
happy to be asked to be the future Mrs. Timothy Fetterman!

We have been busy making plans and are getting married on July 14th 2012."

***

Aimee & Matt

"It was May 1st, right before finals and I had a TON of work to do including
handing in my thesis proposal. However, I really needed to unwind and do something
fun so Matt decided to rent a boat (thought you needed a license...apparently not in
the North Country hahaha) and go fishing on Lake Champlain.

Of course I brought all my articles to read since I was so overwhelmed with getting it done, but
obviously that didn't happen. Anyways, after about 15 minutes and next to Valcour
.Island, he asked me if I wanted to start fishing and I did, so I asked him to bait my hook.
I HATE touching worms!! 5 seconds later he turned around and was just staring at me
with a weird face. I really had no idea what was going on. I didn't get it for a good
10 seconds, but the ring was on the hook swinging in front of my face!! Good thing he
planned this out and fixed the hook so the ring wouldn't fall off into the water lol.
And on one knee he said, "I've got the best catch, will you marry me?"

I knew the proposal was coming... taking my dad out for lunch??? COME ON NOW,
but he definitely shocked me with when and how it happened.

Matt is such a romantic person, he always puts so much thought into everything he
does for me....even his cards are lengthy and beautiful lol. I can't even express
how grateful I am, especially having a significant other who drove up to Plattsburgh
almost every weekend to see me (sometimes arriving on a Saturday night, only
to leave Sunday morning…crazy right????). He made the 6 hour drive in snow, rain,
hail, you name it. Both of us said we would never be in a long distance relationship,
but not even 2 months before I left to start my masters program, we decided to
give it a try.

Well, we made it through the 2 years I was upstate and I can honestly
say that's the reason we're so close. Our Skpye dates, talking on the phone from the time
we woke up, throughout the day, and then until one of us fell asleep on the phone at
night was how we had to get to know one another. I'm very happy I came back home
for my internship though and Matt is too (for driving reasons of course haha). It was
tough at times having a significant other so far away, but the saying "what doesn't kill you,
only makes you stronger" is definitely true for us :)

I never knew a love like this could exist. The list of qualities that I HAD to have
in someone seemed downright ridiculous and thought it was never going to happen.
I was actually OK with the fact that I would probably be the crazy cat lady. I can't
believe that Matt is everything I've dreamed about having in a person. Not only
is he the most handsome man I've ever met, he's sweet, loving, and kind to everyone
around him. He works hard to be successful and always strives for more. Matt
motives me and supports everything I do, always cheering me on to the fullest. He's my
best friend in whole world and I really can't remember what
life was like before I met him."

***

 

***STAY TUNED FOR PART TWO!!***














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