Wedding flashback - part 1

Shaun and I have a "big one" coming up next week. Our 10 year wedding anniversary. I can't believe it! I thought it would be fun to take a walk down memory lane and do a series of posts about our engagement, pre-wedding festivities, and our wedding. I've recently been scanning all of our old pictures into the computer (you know because we are old and got married before digital cameras) and I started with all of our wedding photos. I'm not even half way through them but I'm working on them a little bit everyday.



To kick off the series, I thought I would tell you about our engagement. We got engaged on June 23, 1998. We had been dating for 7 years. We were leaving in less than a week, me to move to Virginia and live with my brother and get a real job (I had just graduated from college), and Shaun to move to Philadelphia to start a Masters program. I thought he may ask me before we left, but the closer it got, the more I thought maybe not. We planned a date for a weeknight (I think it was a Wednesday) because my dad gave us a gift certificate to go to Tavern on the Green (a restaurant at a country club in my hometown). My dad said he and my mom couldn't use it before it expired so Shaun and I should use it. This was the only reason to explain to me why Shaun would be taking me to such an expensive restaurant (we were a bit cash poor in those days). He had asked both of my parents for permission earlier in the week.

This is where we got engaged:

The whole evening is kind of a blur to me. I know we went to dinner. I know there was only one other couple in the restaurant. I know the waiter brought over a dozen long stemmed roses and Shaun got down on his knee. I know he said the sweetest words to me and I wish I could remember them all but I can't. I know I couldn't see the ring through my tears. I know it was one of the happiest moments of my life. I know the older couple that was across the restaurant looked at us as if to say "that was us 40 years ago". I know I had the biggest smile on my face all night long and could barely contain my excitement. I couldn't wait to call all of our family and friends to share the news!

We got back to my parents house and my mom snapped this photo And this one because I made her

My mom wanted to have a little celebration for us before we left so a few nights later we had a few friends over and drank some champagne.

Two of my favorite people (one on each side). Shaun and Randi.

This is how I looked in almost every picture for about a week after we got engaged. I was really happy to have that ring on!

Me and my future husband

We had a lot of work to do before I left for Virginia. The wedding was to be in my hometown where my parents lived and I was moving 2000 miles away in less than a week. I had to move fast. More to come..........