Our Story: Band Geeks in Love!
This one time, at band camp...
Brian and I met when we were both members of the Boston College Marching Band. He played the sousaphone, and I was in the color guard. We met at band camp... yep, band camp. As the story goes, one day during the midday rehearsal block when it was particularly hot and brutal, Brian walked over to check on his band "daughter" (a freshman that his sophomore self had been charged with guiding through the first few weeks) who was also in the CG. As he was coming towards us, I was walking away from the group to refill a water bottle. In my typical oblivious and klutzy fashion, I tripped right over him! (Brings new meaning to "falling" for someone, I suppose!) I mumbled an apology and walked away, focused on rehydrating. As Brian watched me walk away, his section leader came up behind him and slapped him on the back of the head, telling him to stop staring at my bum!
We became good friends after that day, and started dating during my junior, his senior year in college. In true band geek fashion, our "couple-dom" became official at the 2004 Continental Tire Bowl in Charlotte, NC. We've been together ever since (despite my moving to Ireland for school about 2 weeks after that fateful bowl game)!
Will you...?
Brian proposed the weekend of my college commencement. We went out to celebrate finishing my degree at the Top of the Hub in Boston. After dinner, we went to the lobby of the Sheraton in order to "get our parking validated." After spending what seemed to be a very long time on a parking ticket, Brian came back over and told me he had bad news, they wouldn't validate his slip, so we'd just have to stay the night. I was obviously confused, and then he added "Besides, I figured you'd want some privacy to call and let people know that I asked you to marry me." He got down on one knee and asked, I cried and he slipped the ring on my finger. I was so happy, I forgot to say yes until almost a half hour later, in our executive suite with a bottle of champagne!
The photo is from the night of my class's commencement ball, where we got to share the news with all our friends!
The bling...
Here's my rings! I love the engagement ring, we picked it out together about 9 months before he proposed, but I had no idea he had actually gone back and bought the exact one we looked at. All my jewelry is yellow gold, including my college ring that I wear on my right hand (college colors are maroon and gold). And my wedding band matches really well, I'm very happy with them.
Our Engagement Pictures
We had our engagement pictures shot by a great amateur photographer and friend of my sister, Mandy Johnson. We weren't looking for anything really artsy or exciting, just some quality shots to choose from for Christmas gifts and the announcement in the paper. It was fun, and we have some great pictures of us to show for it!
