The past month has been the most beautiful whirlwind. Connor and I went to California in October, and he proposed while we were in Napa! We have been so overwhelmed with love, happiness and excitement — and it is just the beginning!
Our date is set, our venue is booked, but I still cannot stop thinking about how perfect the day of our proposal was.
October 21, 2019 will forever be one of my favorite days.
Connor and I spent three days in San Francisco before driving to Napa on October 20th, our seven year anniversary. While our San Francisco itinerary was packed with places to see, food to try and things to do, the Napa portion of our trip was meant to be much more relaxing (a full travel guide is coming soon!).
We heard about how beautiful Stags’ Leap was, and knew it had to be part of our Napa trip — after all, it is rated one of the Top 5 Most Romantic Winery Destinations by Sonoma Magazine! Unfortunately, when we were booking our trip, there were no available tastings and tours for the day. A few days later, Connor said he checked the website again, and there was an opening. I was so excited! I later found out that the open spot was created for us as part of a much bigger plan.
On Oct. 21, we went to Boon Fly Cafe for the most delicious breakfast and mini donuts before heading back to our hotel to get ready for our tasting and tour at Stags’ Leap Winery. While at Stags’ Leap, we toured the beautiful Estate and sipped on several different wines throughout the afternoon. After the tour was over, Connor and I had planned to stay to enjoy some more wine before heading to dinner — it was our last day, so we wanted to soak in all that Napa has to offer before flying home!
We went out to the porch that overlooks the vineyard and had a glass of wine. Connor wanted to get a picture together before we left, so we walked through the vineyard to find the perfect spot (little did I know, Connor had this all planned out!). We turned down one row, and Connor took a selfie of us, put his phone down and looked at me.
“This has been really great,” he started. I jokingly interjected (as we do when one of us unintentionally says something that sounds so “final”) and said, “Please don’t tell me this is where you leave me — right in the middle of a 240-acre vineyard!” He laughed, looked me in the eyes and said, “I don’t want to leave you, I want to stay with you forever.”
In that moment, I realized what was happening, and I just couldn’t believe it. I was crying, shaking and smiling as the love of my life got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. It was such a beautifully intimate moment that I will treasure forever.
After I said yes, he sprung another surprise on me — he turned me around and pointed to a photographer that he had hired to take our proposal and engagement photos! I could not believe all of this was happening! Our photographer, Christophe Genty, captured one of the best moments of our lives together, and I am forever grateful for that.
In between our engagement photos, Connor told me all of the details of the proposal — from how he asked my dad for his blessing to designing my ring and coordinating the day with Christophe and the winery. The start of our forever was one of the best days, but our best day ever is going to be in just under a year! I cannot wait to marry my best friend!
simply gray 