The Engagement Story (E Day, Phase 5: The Celebration)

After the excitement of the proposal, we proceeded back to the limo. Jessi made sure to show off her ring to the driver. Thankfully, though we had never looked at rings or even spoke about them, Jessi absolutely loved hers. What a blessing for me to see her exhilaration!

With the surprise almost fully complete, we drove back to the restaurant for our private dinner. After enjoying the meal and a few more pictures, our wonderful photographer Sarah headed home, and I set the stage for one last surprise.

I convinced Jessi that our ride had come to pick us up, so we scurried out the door after thanking Stephanie, the Operations Manager, for playing a pivotal role in our fun evening. We passed in front of the gelato store next door and Jessi’s eye caught a few friends inside. By now she was prepared for all my charades, so she knew right away that I had asked a group of our friends to come and celebrate with us.

While the ladies encircled Jessi to relive the evening, I summarized it for the guys. With the last hoorah out of the way, exhaustion set in. I felt like I had just completed a 4-hour workout, but what a joy to experience it all!

Thanks for the dozens of comments on Facebook and Twitter and for joining in our happiness!

Return to Phase 4 (The Proposal), Phase 3 (The Day), Phase 2 (The Win), or Phase 1 (The Registration).