Our Engagement in the Loire Valley (including photos)!

My fiancé S and I got engaged back in March, but I haven’t posted the story until now (whoops!).  But, better late than never, I suppose.   Here's the fun story!

We picked out the stone and had the setting made last November through a retired jeweler whose grandfather had sold an engagement ring to S’s grandfather and whose father sold an e-ring to S’s Dad!  We enjoyed carrying on the tradition.  After the ring was sent to us for final approval, it went into a safety deposit box at the bank.  I knew S would propose sometime over the next 10 months (because I’m leaving to do my dissertation fieldwork in Africa this fall and we discussed getting engaged before I left) but I didn’t know where, when, or how the proposal would happen. 

Fast forward to March- it was our spring break (we’re both PhD students) and we were driving from upstate NY to DC to visit friends for a few days (or so I thought).  Somewhere in PA, S pulls over, and hands me an envelope- the first of many clues that finds me phoning various friends and family members to lead me around NYC and then to Newark airport where we board a plane bound for France!! 

Once on the ground in Paris, we climb into our rental car and navigate our way to the Loire Valley.  S tells me we are staying in a bed and breakfast in the country.  It wasn’t until we pulled up that I discovered that the “bed and breakfast” is Chateau Brissac, a beautiful old castle that is a combination of a 11th century fortress and 17th century baroque chateau- a very cool architectural amalgamation.  

Our room in the chateau was simply gorgeous- original wood furnishings, authentic Belgian tapestries lining the high walls, a huge fireplace.  S was planning to wait until after we’d gotten dressed up and had our private dinner in one of the chateau’s salons to propose.  However, as soon as we stepped into the room, I started tearing up because I was just so overwhelmed that he’d done all of this planning for me.  I started to tell him how special I felt and before I knew it, he was dropping to one knee.  We were both in jeans and hadn’t showered in about 36 hours, but none of that mattered because the moment was so sincere and natural.  Of course, before S even got the ring on my finger, the Marquis (who still lives in the chateau) bursts into our room to tell us that there is no hot water in our room!!  A nice reminder that real life continues even when you’ve just become engaged in a castle!

Later that night we had our private dinner and then retired to our room to find champagne and a roaring fire.  We went to sleep late and woke up early because we were both so excited.  We spent the next day touring some other chateaux in the Loire before returning to Paris where we spend the remainder of the week. 

All in all, I love the fact that, even with all of S's careful planning, the actual proposal was still spontaneous and in the moment (so much so that the proposal even surprised him!).

Below are a few photos of the Chateau, our room (one is a “staged” proposal shot we took later in the night just for fun), and of course some ring photos!   

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If you judge people, you have no time to love them ~Mother Teresa

What you feel only matters to you. It is what you do to the people you say you love that is what matters. - from The Last Kiss

**Ness**

~~~ When in doubt...don't.~~~

"Purring is an automatic safety valve device for dealing with happiness overflow."

Skippy

"The only things that stand between a person and what they want in life are the will to try it, and the faith to believe it's possible" Rich Devos

Harleigh

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I never worry about diets. The only carrots that interest me are the number you get in a diamond...
Mae West

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"There is no such thing as fun for the whole family-there are no massage parlors with ice cream and free jewelry" Jerry Seinfeld

* March 14, 2009 *

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DFW PS GTG Planner Extraordinaire :)