I just adore Colonial Williamsburg – I’ve only been there to enjoy the history, but imagine using it as the location for your engagement session as Chris and Melanie did with photographer Diana Gordon. Oh, and the bride has a fun backstory about her engagement. I love it!! I’m going to let her tell you her story, and after you read it, I hope you enjoy this Williamsburg e-session today!
I was not surprised when a few months before my birthday in 2014, he started the teasing process. For weeks I endured his taunting of ‘this will be the best birthday you’ve had’ and ‘I don’t know how I’ll top this one.’ In the past, whenever he said things like that, it ended up being a book or a bicycle or gear to wear while on the back of his motorcycle. Useful, but not particularly heart breaking gifts; but he was relentless in also saying that I would probably be in tears of overwhelming joy. At that point in our relationship, I wanted nothing more than for him to propose.
Since I fell in love with him at 13, he had been by my side almost every single day, and had become my best friend, adventure partner, and my rock whenever things got crazy. I knew then that I wanted to spend my life with him, but I also knew that we didn’t have enough to afford a wedding, much less an engagement ring. As a result, his non-stop teasing would put me down in the dumps because even though I was sure that I would love whatever he had planned, it still wouldn’t be the promise I really desired.
On Father’s Day [which was also Melanie’s birthday], we finally got to my house where we gave my father his recliner – that he immediately started to break in – and began to cook a big celebration feast. All my siblings were there, plus Chris’ family, and a few family friends. Through the hustle and bustle of lots of people in a tiny house, the time flew by, and before I knew it, we had finished eating and had started to cut the birthday cake. As I cleaned up what I could, I barely noticed Chris say that he had to use the restroom upstairs.
I had just sat down when I heard him call my name. I looked up and saw him standing at the base of the stairs wearing a full suit – tie and dress shoes and all – with something behind his back. My heart dropped to my stomach and started beating frantically. I froze. Chris’ mother sitting next to me had to push me to get up. I walked towards him but my hands were already shaking, and my insides were very quickly freaking out so I stopped a few feet short. He came towards me and started to say something but at that point, I had already blanked out. I can’t remember for the life of me what he said! Not one word. He could’ve been speaking pig-Latin or something and it would’ve all sounded the same to me.
He handed me a little box, which I opened to see not a ring, but a small piece of paper that read “always and forever”. I smiled and started to cry. When I looked up from the box, he was already down on one knee, with a smaller box in his hands, the prettiest ring I had ever seen inside, and from his lips came my present “Will you marry me?” Now, if this had been a movie, I would have cried, “Yes!” and we would’ve kissed, slowly fading into the credits. I’m much too awkward for movies.
Tears were quickly falling, and I attempted to cover my face with my hand while at the same time trying to say yes, though I am told nothing actually came out of my mouth. I then tried to nod, but only succeeded in looking like a circus seal. It wasn’t until my father said from somewhere behind me ‘Melanie, you have to say something’ that I partially regained consciousness enough to where a solid ‘yes’ left my lips, my hand fell to receive the ring, and once Chris stood up, I quickly collapsed in his arms and tried to hide from all the eyes on us in the room. Most of them were crying with me, so it wasn’t so bad. Chris was very spot on – it was definitely a birthday for the books.
