3 Year Anniversary ● by Jon + Jess

Today is our anniversary, so we thought we'd share the story of how Jon proposed. Some bits a tad unorthodox (it happened in a cemetery), but we wouldn't change a thing.

Jess: Let's start with the day of the proposal... Hmmm... I don't really remember what happened in the morning before your proposed, do you?

Jon: Saturday morning, December 17th, 2011. I leapt from my bed--

Jess: Oh boy...

Jon:… As excited as little Jonny was on Christmas morning! But, I think it should be said that YOU had wanted to spend the morning with another dude.

Jess: What?! I have no memory of this...

Jon:  I remember because you KNEW a proposal was possible any day and I was like, 'good heavens woman! I'm about to ask for your hand!' And you were all (falsetto) “I wanna hang with the boys!”

Jess: Hmmm.... hard to get....

Jon: Yeah, you go girl... Anyway, what was the lead up? Didn't I make it sound like it was going to be after Christmas?

Jess: Psh. If you did, I saw right through it.

Jon: How?

Jess: Got a heads up from a little birdy.

Jon: What, you did? Wait! From your mom? I need to talk to Debby about keeping her darn mouth shut.

Jess: Well, to be fair she probably said something cryptic and I am just a really good guesser.

Jon: What like, “Um, someone called your dad and asked if he could marry you... but I'm not telling you who.. these lips are sealed!” 
It's called 'popping the question' for goodness sakes! Not pulling it out of the fridge and reheating it three weeks later!

Jess: (laughing) I promise it was still special.

Jon: Whatevs.

Jess: It was pretty elaborate set up though, knowing before really diminished nothing.

Jon: Hmmm, well I drove up to Boston with some pre-planned goodies in the trunk. After I picked you up, we went to Harvard because I know how much you love it and it's a beautiful campus.

Jess: And then you pulled out that jewellery I had wanted when I visited you in New York.

Jon: Yup. I wanted to take you to all your favourite places around Boston, and give you special gifts to make it the best day ever.

Jess: Aw...

Jon: So, after that we went to Longfellow Mansion (which is just across the street from your church building). It was Christmas time and I had remembered you telling me that you loved singing I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day knowing Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, had lived just across the street.

Jess:Yeah, that was lovely... and you got me that beautiful picture book about the story of the song.

Jon: Which I didn't read until years later, when I read it at a home teaching appointment. I think I scarred those children.

Jess: (laughing) Well, it was a cute gift at the time.

Jon: Then we went back to the car and I gave you a Burberry scarf.

Jess: Well, 'faux'-berry...

Jon: It kept you warm.

Jess: And then you got me hot chocolate at Burdicks. Yumo!

Jon: Yeah, we both like chocolate... and we like it hot.

Jess: …

Jon: ;)

Jess: Anyway, then the main event...

Jon: I took you to Mt. Auburn cemetery.

Jess: My favourite place in the world!

Jon: I gave you four white roses. Then we walked over to a little pond where I knew you liked to sit and think sometimes. I had arranged for our friend, Matt, to place 10 orange roses on a bench there. I gave you the roses and sang “That's all” to you.

Jess: Yeah, that was lovely. Pretty sure those people across the pond enjoyed it too.

Jon: My fans, no doubt.

Jess: Undoubtably.

Jon: Then, the big moment. We drove to the Rapunzel tower in the middle of the cemetery and I innocently suggested that we go to the top.

Jess: Innocently? There was a fairytale castle, you were singing to me and showering me with roses. Babe, I knew what was coming.

Jon: (smiling) Then we walked up the stairs-- just missing Matt, who was getting bystanders out of the way.

Jess: And then there were rose petals! It was so pretty! The inside of the tower is a stone spiral staircase, and once we were almost up to the top there were rose petals everywhere. Grah! So romantic!

Jon: I dropped to one knee, said some saucy words, and pulled out the ring.

Jess: Oh yeah, that ring! I was so scared you were going to pull out this dinky little band with a hunka-chunka diamond. But then you pulled out this beautiful antique ring (with a small stone and filigree setting). I was one happy camper.

Jon: Then she pulled out the jewellery monocle, did a quick and dirty appraisal, and said, “Okay, this will do. Yes, we're engaged.”

Jess: (laughing) Yeah sure, something like that.

Jon: Then calling to tell the fam (Debby didn't pick up)... dinner at Red House and we went to go watch Sherlock Holmes at the theatre.

Jess: Where I fell asleep... whoops. It was an emotional day.

Jon: Mission accomplished, greatest day of my life up to that point.

Jess: Me too.