I have a very non traditional story to tell...
I met my to be wife at work in 2001. At the time, we were both married to other people. Over time, we became friends and eventual realized that we were having an ''emotional'' affair with one another, yet neither of us truly knew the other''s desires.
To be honest, I valued her friendship so much that I chickened out of ever telling her how I truly felt...yet my home life was slowly, day by day, killing me.
In July of 2007, it all came out when she ''sorta'' mentioned her affection/affliction for me. I was shocked. I responded in kind, but was unsure what she ultimately wanted...I knew that I did not want to be ''that'' guy who had an affair...unless the ultimate result was the two of us getting married and living happily ever after.
So, I told her right out...I was not interested, unless we intend to get divorced from our current spouses, treat them properly given the situation, then date, engage, and ultimately marry. Amazing to me, she agreed wholeheartedly. She wanted the ''whole enchilada'' as well, or nothing.
And that is exactly what we did.
I met her parents in October of 2007. We vacationed with them in Feb of 2008 in Florida. When learning that I would be turning 40 in April of 2007, her Dad suggested a family trip to Vegas to celebrate my milestone...so her Mom and Dad, and two brothers and sisters-in-laws, she and I went to Vegas in the first week of April 2008. We said at the Luxor and celebrated my birthday every night with a different dinner outing.
I proposed to her the first night we were there. I had made arrangements with her parents for her and I to dine alone on that first night. I made reservations at 7:00pm for the Eiffel Tower Restaurant at the Paris Casino/Hotel. We had a beautiful table over looking the Bellagio dancing waters. For our meal, we had the Chef''s degustion menu and an accompanying flight of wine pairings (always helps to get them drunk - NOT!) The meal was fantastic, and the view was ultra-romantic. Just prior to the dessert course, I made my move...got down on one knee aside her at the table, and opened my heart and soul to her and asked her to marry me. I presented her a 1carat, princess cut, G color, VS1 diamond in a platinum setting that had a flight of four smaller 5 pt princesses channel set on either side. She has long thin fingers (a piano player''s hand) and the ring and stone were perfectly proportioned to her hand.
Fast forward one year....April 9th, 2009 at 3:00pm, once again at the Luxor...this trip was for the wedding, which occurred in the Chapel at the Luxor. The ceremony was intimate with just her Mom and Dad and my Dad and step Mom, and all of our friends around the world via a live webcast. She gave me my ring...a very similarly styled custom 5mm platinum band with 10 5pt diamonds channel set; and her wedding band had been soldered to her engagement ring.
Dinner followed at 7:00, also again at the Eiffel Tower Restaurant...at the same table as a year earlier and a slightly improved degustion menu and wine flight pairings.
In all, the proposal, rings, and ceremony had a very nice symmetry.

I met my to be wife at work in 2001. At the time, we were both married to other people. Over time, we became friends and eventual realized that we were having an ''emotional'' affair with one another, yet neither of us truly knew the other''s desires.
To be honest, I valued her friendship so much that I chickened out of ever telling her how I truly felt...yet my home life was slowly, day by day, killing me.
In July of 2007, it all came out when she ''sorta'' mentioned her affection/affliction for me. I was shocked. I responded in kind, but was unsure what she ultimately wanted...I knew that I did not want to be ''that'' guy who had an affair...unless the ultimate result was the two of us getting married and living happily ever after.
So, I told her right out...I was not interested, unless we intend to get divorced from our current spouses, treat them properly given the situation, then date, engage, and ultimately marry. Amazing to me, she agreed wholeheartedly. She wanted the ''whole enchilada'' as well, or nothing.
And that is exactly what we did.
I met her parents in October of 2007. We vacationed with them in Feb of 2008 in Florida. When learning that I would be turning 40 in April of 2007, her Dad suggested a family trip to Vegas to celebrate my milestone...so her Mom and Dad, and two brothers and sisters-in-laws, she and I went to Vegas in the first week of April 2008. We said at the Luxor and celebrated my birthday every night with a different dinner outing.
I proposed to her the first night we were there. I had made arrangements with her parents for her and I to dine alone on that first night. I made reservations at 7:00pm for the Eiffel Tower Restaurant at the Paris Casino/Hotel. We had a beautiful table over looking the Bellagio dancing waters. For our meal, we had the Chef''s degustion menu and an accompanying flight of wine pairings (always helps to get them drunk - NOT!) The meal was fantastic, and the view was ultra-romantic. Just prior to the dessert course, I made my move...got down on one knee aside her at the table, and opened my heart and soul to her and asked her to marry me. I presented her a 1carat, princess cut, G color, VS1 diamond in a platinum setting that had a flight of four smaller 5 pt princesses channel set on either side. She has long thin fingers (a piano player''s hand) and the ring and stone were perfectly proportioned to her hand.
Fast forward one year....April 9th, 2009 at 3:00pm, once again at the Luxor...this trip was for the wedding, which occurred in the Chapel at the Luxor. The ceremony was intimate with just her Mom and Dad and my Dad and step Mom, and all of our friends around the world via a live webcast. She gave me my ring...a very similarly styled custom 5mm platinum band with 10 5pt diamonds channel set; and her wedding band had been soldered to her engagement ring.
Dinner followed at 7:00, also again at the Eiffel Tower Restaurant...at the same table as a year earlier and a slightly improved degustion menu and wine flight pairings.
In all, the proposal, rings, and ceremony had a very nice symmetry.
