How My Birthday Party Turned into An Engagement Party

On Friday, March 22, I celebrated my birthday with my boyfriend and family at my favorite restaurant, Pappadeaux’s. The next day, March 23, he asked me to be his wife, y’all!

So here’s our engagement story:

From our very first date, he told me that he was going to marry me. Now, y’all know I’ve heard that line a thousand times before, and it was only our first date, so I brushed it off. Then, as time went on, we made it official, took our first cruise together just 3 months later, and things got serious. We met each other’s families, celebrated holidays together, and got each other through some very tough times. I told him that if he was ever going to propose, I wanted my friends and family to be there. And that before he proposed, I wanted him to ask my grandparents and my mom for their blessing.

In a group chat with my friends back in October, my best friend sent us rings one day and said that she was trying to pick one out for herself. Then she asked if we knew our own ring sizes. Silly me did not catch on to that! I was really oblivious, y’all.

We looked at rings once, back in November, and of course, I sent him my Pinterest board because I knew I wanted a pear-shaped ring. Little did I know he was already conspiring with my two best friends about proposing. He had sent them multiple rings, and they knew it was coming. He was going to propose over Christmas, but with a recent layoff and other things, the timing just wasn’t right. Christmas was wonderfully celebrated with my family as I hosted and they came into town. Unbeknownst to me, he had already ordered a ring but had to send it back because it was too small. Things just did not fall into alignment for a Christmas proposal. Valentine’s Day comes… still no proposal. I was kind of thinking, “Okay, maybe this just won’t happen this year.”

I knew my birthday was coming up, but I initially wasn’t in a celebratory mood. My grandmother insisted that I have a birthday party and (sometimes!) I always listen to my grandma. So in mid-February, party planning took off! I didn’t have to worry about a venue because I knew I was going to use the clubhouse in my apartment complex. As far as decor, the budget was slim! So I knew most of it was going to be DIY, and I was fine with that. I decided on a brunch party with some classics like chicken and waffles and of course, shrimp and grits. I utilized my own website to invite folks and created an RSVP link to collect info like allergies and a guest count. Everything just really fell into place so perfectly, and as the day approached, he randomly said, “If I was going to propose, it would be around our anniversary in September.” Now, one thing I know about my man is that he cannot hold water. So I kinda felt like he said that to throw me off.

The day of the party comes, and we are up bright and early to decorate the clubhouse. I created a BINGO game so my guests could mix and mingle, a mimosa bar to keep the drinks flowing, and a flower bar where they could create their own floral arrangements. I really enjoyed letting my creativity flow, and everything just fell into place how I imagined it. As the party goes on, I am taking pictures with my friends and family in front of the balloon arch. I notice that he’s now wearing a lapel mic, but I don’t think too much about it. Then the music changes to Happily Ever After by Case. The next thing I know, he’s on one knee, confessing his love for me, asking me to marry him! I was shocked! I was speechless but managed to say, “Yes!” It was such a beautiful moment that I will forever cherish.

Wedding planning has begun! I am not sure exactly how much I will share online just yet. There are some parts of my life I want to remain sacred and truly bask in the moment. We’ll see!

I did a question box on Instagram and wanted to answer some questions that members of my online community sent in.

Q: Did you pick your ring or give him ideas?

A: I did give him ideas from my Pinterest board, and whenever he brought up proposing, I mentioned that a pear-shaped ring would look good on my fingers.

Q: Did y’all talk about engagement and how soon before it happened?

A: Yes, on our first date he said he was going to marry me, but I didn’t believe him. That was September 2022. In early November 2023, our conversations became more serious, and I dropped hints about who I wanted to be there and how I wanted him to ask.

Q: Did you know or have hints?

A: I was clueless! He really tried to throw me off by saying he wasn’t thinking about proposing until our anniversary in September, later this year.

Q: How does it feel to be engaged?

A: It honestly hasn’t set in yet. I think as we get further into the planning process, reality will set in.

Q: How does it feel to be in love and getting married in such a loveless era?

A: It feels really amazing, and I truly wish that we as a society would embrace love. One thing I did was become more intentional about the content I would consume. I watched videos and posts from those who were either single and satisfied or married and happy. I refused to let bitterness take root.

Q: How did you all meet?

A: We met on Facebook Dating, our first conversation was on FaceTime for four hours. A week later we went on two dates and have been inseparable ever since!

Q: Was it how you’ve always dreamed?

A: YES! I wanted my friends and family to be there for such a special moment. I was truly surrounded by love that day.

Q: What was your favorite part?

A: Being embraced by my family and friends. I was almost on the verge of tears but held it in, thankfully!