Sharing a Big Life Update: We’re Engaged!

Over the past year, I’ve shifted most of my life updates to my newsletter, but this one is too big to keep confined within the walls of an inbox (and also to bury too far down in this post):

Michael and I are engaged!

Although we’ve been together for fourteen years, this announcement feels huge (and still a little strange to say – the F-word doesn’t quite roll off the tongue yet). And I can honestly say I didn’t see it coming.

I always knew marriage was in our future, but never gave much thought to the timeline. I just knew we would get engaged one day, but I felt perfectly content with our life together and saw no need to be bothered by the pesky details of when.

So to say I was surprised when Michael got down on one knee back in August is an understatement. We’d spent the afternoon exploring Roanoke, and once the sun set, we made for the Blue Ridge Parkway to watch the meteor shower together. While watching each shooting star cross the sky, I reflected on what things I should wish for at that moment – and I came up empty-handed. And then he asked the question that would somehow change both everything and nothing at all.

It couldn’t have been any sweeter or more perfect: just the two of us under a sky of shooting stars.

You might have noticed the length of time we’ve waited to make this announcement – it’s certainly an unconventional start to our engagement, which feels fitting for us. We’re choosing to navigate the planning of our wedding slowly and intentionally, figuring out together the elements that matter most and leaving the rest behind. Choosing to follow our hearts rather than yielding to tradition. Making sustainable choices as much as possible, and supporting our creative friends in the process.

Michael thoughtfully commissioned my ring from my immensely talented friend Ellen and selected a lab-grown diamond as opposed to one fraught with conflict (a tender thing that still makes me tear up on occasion). In a princess cut with a gold band and platinum prongs, it’s the ring of my dreams – a classic ring that thwarts all trends and will stand the test of time.

And while we admittedly aren’t very far along in the planning process, one “traditional” element we knew we wanted was engagement photos. Although we travel so much together, the truth is we have very few opportunities for well-taken photos. So, on a chilly autumn day in a secondhand jumpsuit and a sweater I knitted, we set out for a stunning vineyard with my wonderful photographer friend, Sam – another incredible, talented soul.

The wind and the weather were not on our side (temps started dropping into the 30s, which made for powerful, icy gusts), but the setting and autumn light made up for it. Despite running a blog that essentially requires me to be in front of the camera quite frequently, it’s never somewhere I feel wholly comfortable. Thankfully, Sam put us both at ease and managed to capture these wonderful moments. I’m hoping to make a professional photo session an annual tradition, either at home or as a special treat when traveling.

Even with the extra layer of pressure from this once-in-a-lifetime photoshoot, I’m grateful to have a partner who also refuses to take things too seriously right by my side for the rest of my life.

Thank you for reading along and allowing me to share this special moment with you! I still haven't decided how much of the wedding planning process I'll share, but I'm sure you'll see some glimpses along the way.

It’s safe to say this is uncharted territory for us – what are some of your best pieces of advice for weddings + marriage?