I remember Valentine’s day 1995… a couple of months earlier I had been traveling through Europe with my high school sweetheart. We took a little time off from what we were doing and decided to explore the world while we were still young. After we returned, I decided that I would ask her to marry me. Valentine’s day came around, she was back at college upstate. I drove up to surprise her… I was excited and nervous, and of course, that led to me speeding. I got a ticket along the way, but it was worth it in the end. She said yes and we were married 2 years later.
I love hearing proposal stories… they’re always fun and romantic… even the simple ones show an amazing connection between a couple. I knew at the age of 16 when I first saw my wife walking down the hallway in high school that I would marry her… I didn’t know who she was… I didn’t know her name. But I knew I’d spend my life with her… and here we are all these years later.
Share your stories if you like… how you met, how the proposal went. I’d love to hear them! Best story from a Small Moments Studios couple gets an 8×12 picture from your engagement or wedding images!
I saw him from across the bar. I think he saw me, too. A few shared glances, a few small smiles, a few drinks later and he walked directly to me. “Hi. I’m Damon.” And my first words back to him, “I’ve waited my WHOLE LIFE to meet a Damon!!” Smooth, I know. (The main character in my favorite movie, Only You, was Damon Bradley and I had been telling my friends since I was 16 that I would meet my Damon Bradley one day). AFter chatting about local restaurants and hitting it off really well – suddenly he was gone. I couldn’t believe he had left without asking for my number! As I was dishing with my friends about this guy who seemed into me, but left without my “digits”, who walks back into the bar? “You came back for me!!” I exclaimed. Well – it turned out he had actually come back for the jacket he left that had his house keys in the pocket, but he certainly left with my number. We went on our first date the very next day and have been head over heels ever since, getting married just two months ago with Ryan and the crew as our witnesses!!
Kelly Stritmater
We met during a bowling league the summer of 2008. It was a secret admirer kind of meeting, where Stephen had his friend find out info on me and then it took him 2 (LONG) weeks to come talk to me. My sister knew it was love at first site when she noticed the hot pink Crocs that he was wearing, and I knew it was love at first site when I looked into his baby blue eyes… The next morning I told my mom, “I am going to marry him…” and now October 20th, we’ll be married!
Our engagement story~
We love Peter Kelly’s Xaviers group. Its where we went on our first date, and many other dates in between, so it
seemed like a regular night. We had never tried X2O in Yonkers, so we decided why not.
>>Backstory<< Stephen had always said why shouldn't men get engagement presents… so he looked at watches on the cruise we went on and the week prior. We had plans to go the following afternoon. <<
We got all fancied up and headed down to X20. The manager had arranged a special evening for us as we had been friends a long time. As we sat at the bar for a pre-dinner cocktail, THE conversation came up. Stephen spoke of his watch he may have gotten the next day and I made a deal that I was holding his watch hostage until I got something sparkly. (I was aware that the ring was being made special). Stephen then told me that something happened while the ring was being made and it would be a few weeks until it was ready but that he would make it up to me and take me to a nice dinner once a week until I got it. Though disappointed, I was slightly relieved that I could eat dinner in peace instead of being nervous, since like any girl thought possibly it could be THE night.
We went on to enjoy good food and good wine!. We finally headed home and I went out with our dogs while Stephen went inside to get our bed ready for sleeping, since we are strange and make it before we get into it. When I walked back into the house there was candles and rose petals leading to our bedroom and they led to Stephen on one knee with a red box holding one REALLY sparkly ring!
YES!!!! of course I said yes… and… Stephen got his new watch the next day!.
How we met: James says he’s liked me since the moment he first saw me (remembers the exact time and place! we were YOUNG, like 13ish) and we officially met the Summer of 2003 when he was about to be a senior in highschool and I was going to be a junior. We hung out with the same group at the time, and he was always very quiet. One day, he offered me a ride home from school, and drove me to and from school every day since then! We were inseparable from that moment on. =)
Proposal: He always asked how I would like to be proposed to, and my answer was always with family and/or close friends around. He never really liked that answer because he wasn’t much of a public affection type of guy. James would try to change my mind and asked me how a dinner proposal would be. Eventually, I told him any surprise proposal from him would be wonderful. December 4th is our official date, and during 2010, we were shopping for a ring. So I assumed it would come on our anniversary. That day came and went, no ring. Everyone was sure it would happen on Christmas, so then I started to think that’s when it would happen. On December 11, 2010, his family threw a huge Christmas party at their house. His whole family and my parents were all over. Towards the early evening, I asked him if he would take a picture with me by the tree. So as we gathered by the tree and took pictures, I just remember everyone started to gather in the same room as us, taking pictures. The next thing I knew, James announced “Now that everyone is here..” and proceeded to get on one knee. I was in complete shock and started crying! Never in a million years did I think he would propose in front of our family the way he did, with a small speech and everything! Everyone knew he was going to propose, except for me obviously. It was one of the best nights of my life!
And to add to it, James says the ring box was sitting next to my cell phone on the shelf the whole time, and with all of the times I went over to check my phone, I didn’t even see it!
Hi! I'm Ryan... owner and photographer/cinematographer at Small Moments Studios. We specialize in weddings photography/films as well as studio photography in the NY/NJ/CT area. Thanks so much for stopping by our website!
I saw him from across the bar. I think he saw me, too. A few shared glances, a few small smiles, a few drinks later and he walked directly to me. “Hi. I’m Damon.” And my first words back to him, “I’ve waited my WHOLE LIFE to meet a Damon!!” Smooth, I know. (The main character in my favorite movie, Only You, was Damon Bradley and I had been telling my friends since I was 16 that I would meet my Damon Bradley one day). AFter chatting about local restaurants and hitting it off really well – suddenly he was gone. I couldn’t believe he had left without asking for my number! As I was dishing with my friends about this guy who seemed into me, but left without my “digits”, who walks back into the bar? “You came back for me!!” I exclaimed. Well – it turned out he had actually come back for the jacket he left that had his house keys in the pocket, but he certainly left with my number. We went on our first date the very next day and have been head over heels ever since, getting married just two months ago with Ryan and the crew as our witnesses!!
We met during a bowling league the summer of 2008. It was a secret admirer kind of meeting, where Stephen had his friend find out info on me and then it took him 2 (LONG) weeks to come talk to me. My sister knew it was love at first site when she noticed the hot pink Crocs that he was wearing, and I knew it was love at first site when I looked into his baby blue eyes… The next morning I told my mom, “I am going to marry him…” and now October 20th, we’ll be married!
Our engagement story~
We love Peter Kelly’s Xaviers group. Its where we went on our first date, and many other dates in between, so it
seemed like a regular night. We had never tried X2O in Yonkers, so we decided why not.
>>Backstory<< Stephen had always said why shouldn't men get engagement presents… so he looked at watches on the cruise we went on and the week prior. We had plans to go the following afternoon. <<
We got all fancied up and headed down to X20. The manager had arranged a special evening for us as we had been friends a long time. As we sat at the bar for a pre-dinner cocktail, THE conversation came up. Stephen spoke of his watch he may have gotten the next day and I made a deal that I was holding his watch hostage until I got something sparkly. (I was aware that the ring was being made special). Stephen then told me that something happened while the ring was being made and it would be a few weeks until it was ready but that he would make it up to me and take me to a nice dinner once a week until I got it. Though disappointed, I was slightly relieved that I could eat dinner in peace instead of being nervous, since like any girl thought possibly it could be THE night.
We went on to enjoy good food and good wine!. We finally headed home and I went out with our dogs while Stephen went inside to get our bed ready for sleeping, since we are strange and make it before we get into it. When I walked back into the house there was candles and rose petals leading to our bedroom and they led to Stephen on one knee with a red box holding one REALLY sparkly ring!
YES!!!! of course I said yes… and… Stephen got his new watch the next day!.
How we met: James says he’s liked me since the moment he first saw me (remembers the exact time and place! we were YOUNG, like 13ish) and we officially met the Summer of 2003 when he was about to be a senior in highschool and I was going to be a junior. We hung out with the same group at the time, and he was always very quiet. One day, he offered me a ride home from school, and drove me to and from school every day since then! We were inseparable from that moment on. =)
Proposal: He always asked how I would like to be proposed to, and my answer was always with family and/or close friends around. He never really liked that answer because he wasn’t much of a public affection type of guy. James would try to change my mind and asked me how a dinner proposal would be. Eventually, I told him any surprise proposal from him would be wonderful. December 4th is our official date, and during 2010, we were shopping for a ring. So I assumed it would come on our anniversary. That day came and went, no ring. Everyone was sure it would happen on Christmas, so then I started to think that’s when it would happen. On December 11, 2010, his family threw a huge Christmas party at their house. His whole family and my parents were all over. Towards the early evening, I asked him if he would take a picture with me by the tree. So as we gathered by the tree and took pictures, I just remember everyone started to gather in the same room as us, taking pictures. The next thing I knew, James announced “Now that everyone is here..” and proceeded to get on one knee. I was in complete shock and started crying! Never in a million years did I think he would propose in front of our family the way he did, with a small speech and everything! Everyone knew he was going to propose, except for me obviously. It was one of the best nights of my life!
And to add to it, James says the ring box was sitting next to my cell phone on the shelf the whole time, and with all of the times I went over to check my phone, I didn’t even see it!