I’m engaged! It’s been a few days and it still feels surreal. Even though we’d talked about getting engaged soon, the proposal itself was a complete surprise. Seeing the ring on my left hand sometimes feels like I’m looking at someone else’s hand.
I love hearing other people’s proposal stories, so I’m excited to share mine. After chatting with friends over the last few days, the questions I most often hear are:
1. How did he propose?
2. The ring?!
3. Any idea of a wedding date?
I’ll answer all of those!
The Proposal
To celebrate some post-Bar exam downtime before I start my job, Bryan — my boyfriend, and now fiancé — planned a trip to Park City, Utah. He’s been working remotely and we’ve spent a lot of time exploring the outdoors together: running, hiking, and biking.
One afternoon after he finished work, he asked if I wanted to drive up to the mountains that evening. That didn’t raise any alarms since we’ve been getting outdoors most nights. I asked whether I should wear hiking clothes and he said he had a pretty spot in mind to sit and relax. I tossed on one of the two dresses I packed and we headed out.
We picked up takeout from a Mediterranean place and drove up into the mountains for a picnic. 
After dinner and some conversation, Bryan mentioned he wanted to show me Guardsman Pass — the meadow where his parents were married. It’s a stunning spot beneath the peaks.
You might think I would have suspected a proposal: we’d been together for a year and a half, had talked about marriage, and now we were at a meaningful, romantic location. But I was completely unsuspecting. We had discussed engagement rings before because Bryan had said he wanted me to help choose one; I knew he hadn’t bought a ring.
On the drive there I even joked that it was too bad there wasn’t a ring yet since Guardsman Pass would be an amazing place to get engaged. He laughed, and I poked his pockets saying, “There’s no ring in there, right?!” He just grinned and gently swatted my hand away.
We got out and began walking through the meadow. I noticed a photographer nearby taking family photos, which felt like a lovely coincidence. As we walked, Bryan started talking about how much he’d enjoyed the trip and then about our relationship in general. He sounded a little nervous, talking quickly, but I still didn’t suspect anything serious — I thought he was being unusually sentimental.
Then I heard footsteps crunching behind us and glanced over my shoulder. The family photographer I’d seen earlier was now walking behind us. I refocused on Bryan and suddenly felt certain something was happening.
I dropped my phone on the grass so it wouldn’t show in the photos — Bryan later said I practically launched it, which made him laugh. I tried to listen to the sweet things he was saying while my mind raced and felt blank at the same time. Then Bryan pulled a small ring box from the very pocket I’d been poking, knelt down, and asked me to spend forever with him. I said yes.
Both of us later admitted our minds went blank in that moment, even though we’d talked about it beforehand. We FaceTimed both sets of parents and our siblings right away, which felt so joyful to share.
One detail I’ll always hold close is how emotional Bryan was that night. I’ve never seen him cry before; he’s usually steady and not prone to big displays. Listening to him tear up as he described what I mean to him is a memory I’ll treasure forever. He’d said he didn’t think he’d be nervous to propose, but when it came to it, he got really nervous — which I somehow find even more endearing.
The moment was perfect. I hadn’t had many strong expectations for how a proposal should happen, but one hope was that a photographer would capture it — and there was one.
It was especially meaningful that Bryan’s parents were married in that same meadow, and Park City has been a place he’s wanted to share with me since we started dating. We’ll celebrate with our families once we return to Raleigh, NC.
People keep asking if the photographer was really there for a family session or just pretending. She was legitimately shooting a family, and Bryan texted her during our dinner as she wrapped up to let her know we were coming — so she had the perfect cover. Our photographer was Whitney Charles.
The Ring
Bryan proposed with his great-grandmother’s ring, which explained why I thought he hadn’t bought one. I’d assumed there’d be a new ring, so I didn’t consider a family heirloom as the option.
He’s still encouraged me to move forward with the ring I fell in love with when we went ring-shopping, but said it was meaningful to use his great-grandmother’s ring for the proposal. From there, we’ll decide together how to proceed with any adjustments or plans for the engagement ring. I love that approach.
When’s the Wedding?
That’s still up in the air. We’ll share details once we decide.
Changes to the Blog
Bryan actually suggested a new section — a playful “Unhealthy Bryan” feature to contrast with the Healthy Liv content. He eats similarly to me most of the time but in much larger quantities, and he truly enjoys baked goods and cookie dough. I’ve teased him about starting an “Unhealthy Bryan” Instagram, but for now he’s just joking around.
He also asked me to include more home-decorating and travel posts on the blog and Instagram. I recently signed a lease on my first house and will move in within a couple of weeks; Bryan will join once we’re married. I’m excited to share those updates with you.
Thanks for reading and sharing in our excitement!
Question for you: if you’re engaged or married, how did your proposal happen?