Fairytale Engagement Part I

Three weeks ago the most amazing man asked me to marry him and became my fiancé! Since then so many people have asked "how did he do it" and I can finally write my first post about it since we received our pictures back from the day. Yes, you read that correctly pictures! Joshua had our wonderful friend Shelby (who has her own photography business that you can check out here) take pictures and video of the entire day. I'm going to break our engagement up into 4 posts over the course of the next 4 Wednesdays that way the post aren't too long. The first 3 will be our story through pictures and the last will be the video. I hope y'all enjoy every second of seeing our journey just as much as I enjoy reliving it everyday!

Our morning started out from Winston Salem, NC at 8:00am! Two weeks earlier when I found out the dates of my spring break, Josh made me promise that I would block off March 8th for an all day date! Who could say "no" to that after being away for 2 months? The day before I arrived home, North Carolina received a huge ice storm and since my family was without power we all stayed in Winston that Friday night. Josh had told me to be ready by 8:00am and to wear cute, but comfortable clothes. Before we left Winston Salem, I had to get a backyard picture of the snow and one of the two of us on my new camera. 

Josh gave me no hints as to where we were going so I thought maybe we'd be grabbing breakfast in Winston. Oh no, we kept driving...and driving. Past Greensboro, past Burlington, and past any place I thought our day would start. Josh finally put his blinker on and we got off the interstate at the exit for Chapel Hill. I immediately got really excited because I love the feel of "Carolina" and it's always exciting for me to remember the memories I have with Joshua at this beautiful university (for those of  you new here, Josh was a biology major at Carolina for his first two years before he felt called to be a youth pastor and transferred to a university with a stronger religious department).

The first place we were going to go eat at had a 15 minute wait just to get your name on the wait list. Josh had said we needed to be done eating by 10:30am and well, it was already like 10:05. So on to option number two...Mama Dips! I had the most unhealthy best sausage gravy biscuits in the world while Josh got pancakes. I knew something was up at breakfast when A) Josh only ate two bites of pancake and told me they were "too fluffy" and B) he kept going outside or to the bathroom to answer the most random phone calls.

After breakfast we went and parked on Franklin Street and started walking towards the quad. Right before we got to the quad Josh stopped and said "do you trust me?" Of course I said "yes" and he said, "Okay then, I need you to close your eyes, hold my hand, and let me guide you." So here we go walking through the quad and little did I know that our friend Shelby was secretly following us and taking pictures! 

We arrived to our destination and Josh told me he needed me to sit for a little bit and count to 45. He promised that once I counted to 45 I could open my eyes!

However, before he ran off he said he wanted a quick kiss. It was at this moment that I knew what was happening! You see, there is an old wives tale that if you kiss someone on this bench, they are the person you will marry. Granted, I wasn't 100% sure I was sitting on said bench but having spent many weekends of my childhood and college years at Carolina, I pretty much knew the layout of the quad like the back of my hand and just had a feeling this is where Josh had led me to.

I started counting to 45 and quickly heard Josh run away but also started hearing the sound of a camera shutter.

When I opened my eyes Shelby was there and she instructed me that I had to read my first clue. Puzzled as to what she was talking about she pointed to something on the bench that Josh had left when he started to run.

Inside was my first of many clues for the day that would tell me where to go next. (Side note: I am a huge Bachelor fan so I love how Josh revolved his clues around his own version of a Bachelor episode!) 

So clue number one was telling me to go to the Bell Tower over by Carolina's football stadium. While Shelby and I were walking she was not only taking pictures but asking me questions about my morning so far and filming what I had to say. (I cannot wait for the video to be complete as well!) When I arrived at the Bell Tower I was so surprised by who was waiting there for me. Josh's mom, dad, and little brother had driven up from his hometown 1.5 hours away to help in the special day. After we stood around for a few minutes talking and catching up on my travels, his mom gave me my second clue.

This second clue led me a little ways up the sidewalk to Carmichael Hall which was Josh's dorm for his first two year's at Carolina. His dad and I led the way and talked some more about my trip to Texas while the rest of his family followed behind. When we got to the dorm, Kellan (Shelby's husband) was waiting out side for me with clue number 3.

This clue led me to the intramural fields where Josh and I watched our first meteor shower and also was home to the bench we sat on when he asked me if I wanted to be his girlfriend. At first there was a practice going on and I was a little confused, but quickly my little sister popped up out of no where to surprise me with clue number 4!

Kristen and I loaded up the car and I was taken away from the beautiful UNC Chapel Hill, but not without more memories to add to my heart. I'll allow this to be the end of part 1 as you'll just have to come back next Wednesday to read where I was taken next...and trust me, it gets real good! For now I'll leave you with a behind the scenes photo Shelby snapped of Josh to use in the video right after I left campus.