It’s been a full week of pretty holiday inspiration around here and we’re excited to cap it off with this sweet engagement shoot, captured by Jessica Loren. Gillian + David are two avid Scrabble players that love to celebrate Christmas in a big way. So much so that they brought Christmas to the beach. You’re going to love their engagement story. It might even get some of you soon-to-be-engaged brides anxious for Christmas morning!
Their engagement story…
Having moved from Florida to Rhode Island in early 2010, over 1000 miles from either of our immediate families, it would be only the second time in more than 5 years that David and I would spend Christmas morning together and the first time we would spend it alone together. Both coming from families that celebrate Christmas in a big way, we went a little over-the-top gifting for one another. We each wrapped our gifts for the other in secret and kept them hidden. When we rose Christmas morning it was the perfect image of Santa having come in the night, each of us having woken up separately during the night to deliver the gifts under the tree and stuff the other’s stocking as they slept. Cuddled on the couch we started in on our stockings, apparently more eager for the other to discover what goodies were hidden inside. David kept stopping to watch me open odds and ends so I kept pressing for him to keep opening his…until I got to the last little package. As usual, I carefully peeled off the wrapping paper to revel a tidily-tied little blue box when David said, “Wait, that one is for me.” He took the box, removing the ribbon and revealing its stunning contents (as he took to a knee from his perch on the couch, of course) with just the pace for me to fill with emotion and a flurry of butterflies. He said sweet, loving words about me and us and our relationship that made my heart beat into my ears so the moments surrounding the immediate “Of course!” are a blur. I do know the next gift from the tree was a bottle champagne with 2 flutes. Our perfect Christmas.
