WERE ENGAGED!

So this post is a little late to the game haha! I have been so crazy busy I haven’t gotten around to it but I’ve been meaning too because I want to answer all yalls questions about how, who, what, when, where and get y’all all filled in!! I love being able to share my life with you guys and y’all have no idea how much every sweet comment & well wish means to me! Y’all are the best little blogging family and I appreciate every one of you guys that read/follow along!!

So here it goes – our engagement story!

If your new to the reading game, I’ve been with Ryan for about 2 and 1/2 years now. We moved in last September because we both agreed that we thought it was important to live with someone before you married them. Throwing that out there to say that we have had a few talks about marriage obviously being the end goal but neither of us were the types to run around mentioning it everyday.

One particular talk happened after coming home from someone getting engaged, we were talking about how pretty her ring was. When I mentioned how she did a good job picking out her ring, Ryan went on to express how much he thought that picking a ring out should be a surprise, he would never take someone to pick out a ring and that it’s a special gift from the guy to the girl. He also continued on to say that he feels the whole thing should be a surprise. YALLL, WHATTTTT. Those of y’all that know me. Can y’all imagine me in this conversation. “yea totally” “yea surprise are so special” … Inside I’m like hoooolyyyy freakinnn control freak is this dude serious?! The thoughts in my head were like Jesus Chelsey if you ever get engaged you’ll be wearing workout leggings and end up with some kinda heart shaped purple diamond on a big bulky band or something. (nothing against heart shaped/purple diamonds, they just aren’t my thing.)

I have never even told Ryan my thoughts after this conversation, so if your reading this, I totally love you & believe that you have amazing taste however I am the most picky chick with jewelry and I was scared for my fingers life from that point on when the thought of us getting engaged would cross my mind. I was also petrified at the thought of never knowing that it was coming because I hate surprises and knew I wouldn’t be dressed in something amazing and accidentally white! …. just saying!

Anyway, fast forward. August 16th I didn’t wake up feeling like any other day. I woke up feeling like I was 30 … EW! Ryan brightened my morning by surprising me with the best gift, a new purse I had my eye on- I was officially convinced 30 wasn’t going to suck! I headed to work and celebrated there with fabulous work fam & picked Mexican for my dinner of choice that night! .. side note : One of my clients actually text me in the morning and was like omg I had a dream you got engaged … my reply was “pahhh I wish! I just got a new purse so that’s not happening too” apparently she’s psychic and me and Ryan cracked up at this a few days later!

so back on track … My birthday was on the 16th and Hayden’s birthday is on the 18th, Ryan wanted to go out to dinner just us three on the day in between, the 17th. He asked what we wanted for dinner and desert. We picked Venezia’s for dinner, I threw on jeans, a causal wedge, and a flowy top. The flowy top was a must because obviously I knew I had plans to eat everything in that place. Dinner was deliciousssss and when we left I proceeded to get in the truck telling the boys “this is the best night everrrrrr! I had lobster & Alfredo all at once in the same meal” plus we were headed to get ice cream at Shake Therapy so that was a hugeeeee cherry on top.

We got our shakes and while we were sitting there drinking them, Ryan was randomly like “let’s go drink these out by the river” … okayyyyyyyy I thought, we hopped in the truck and headed over to where we could sit on the river and drink our shakes. “Whattttt are we doing?!” Me and Hayden continued to ask on the way but I was like whatever Chelsey maybe he’s just trying to be fun and do something different for yalls birthday?! We got there, joked around for a minute and Ryan was like hey let me take a picture of you and Hayden. We took a few pictures, being silly because I think me and Hayden were both like whattttt the hell is going on here lol! Then Ryan asked Hayden to take a picture of me and him but on his phone not on the good camera. I’m a pro at wanting to take pictures so I patiently waited for him to walk on over.

When he did he stood by me for a sec and then started to bend down.”what are you doing” came out of my mouth a few times, “are you kidding me” and then “aweeee I love you” while I bent down to hug him. Ryan proceeds to crack up laughing on one knee “I didn’t even say anything” at this point I’m sitting on his knee and am like “well sayyyy it, say ittttt” pahahaha!!! He asked and of course we all know I definitely said yes! It was so funny y’all, I was so surprised and just shocked & it was such a blur! Thank god hayden was actually videoing and not taking a picture! I have the video but haven’t decided if I want to share it on here just yet Incase we do something with it for the wedding?!

In the midst of all this I didn’t even really pay attention to the ring. I was so excited and jumped up and down like a little girl, shed a few excited tears, and all 3 hoped in the truck to leave and start calling people! … on the walk to the truck it set in, waitttttt a second what does this ring even look like?! Heart shaped diamond city?! I flipped on the light in the truck and was like thankkkkk Jesussss this is perfect! He got me a round diamond on the most dainty band with small little diamonds around it! It was SO perfect, he did an amazing job picking it out all on his own! Now, how the heck did he know what I would have liked?! I’m like “how did you even know what I would have liked?! It’s perfect!” He actually had the jeweler come to the house and use my rings to see what size and type of jewelry I had! Most of my jewelry is super dainty and gold, so they rolled with it! Obviously the ring is a minute detail here but it’s every girls big deal haha!

End of the story is that A) I can’t believe this guy actually pulled off this amazing of a surprise. B) that my 30th birthday proved to be the start of some amazing times + the lobster and Alfredo was NOT why the 17th would end up being the best day ever. And C) I wouldn’t have wanted to experience this any other way or with anyone else! I am so over the moon that I get to spend the rest of my life with Ryan + Hayden and I know without a doubt in my mind that Ryan is the BEST fit for me! He brings out the best in me & complements me as a partner so well. I know in him I have a lifelong friend/love! From the day I met him he opened my eyes to the way a relationship and love should be and I’m so blessed/thankful to have found that with him! … I know I’m getting all mushy on y’all haha!!!

Now – heres a lot of questions y’all have been asking!

• Did my parents know? No haha Ryan told not a single soul! How? I don’t know because that would have killed me!

• Did Hayden know? No. He found out right when I did!! What’s funny though is that at dinner we played truth or dare and the two times Ryan said truth Hayden asked “when are you giving Chelsey a ring?” “No really when are you and Chelsey getting married?” He had esp that day!

• Have we set a date? Yes officially! Our regular anniversary is May 6th. That doesn’t fall on a Saturday though so it will be May 4th! I’m excited we are doing that and keeping it around the same time!

• Are we having a big wedding? NOPE! we are keeping it small.

• Whats the plans? We had a little hiccup in our venue plans last week but did damage control and officially locked down the venue two days ago! It will be a destination wedding, but isn’t actually too far haha! We are getting married at a gorgeous spot in Bay Saint Louis. We flirted with the idea of the beach, or maybe even Mexico but both fell in love with the Mississippi thing because we are actually building a camp in the area and feel like it’s perfect because it’s a place we’ll have ties too!

• When’s the parties? we’re not having any! Haha! I think we mutually decided we don’t want a big fuss over any of it + we already have too much stuff! Combing two houses into one has left is with a large storage unit lol!! So parties/ no presents!

That’s all the news I’m sharing as of yet! I plan on keeping y’all posted along the way and am thinking of doing some blog posts with wedding planning tips if some of you guys would like just one big one on that? I know a lot of my followers are between their mid 20s to late 50s and that tons of y’all are already married haha! BUT I know there’s a few that might appreciate the info as well!!

Looking forward to sharing this journey with you guys & again I’m so thankful for each and every one of y’all that follow along and show the love!!!

XoXo, Chelsey Rae