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!!

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!