Leslie and Ross are getting married!
I could not be more thrilled for them. They truly are the perfect match and every part of me is beyond excited for their wedding day!
For those of you who may be new to the blog, Ross is actually one of Ryan’s best friends from college. He was even a groomsman in our wedding and popped up on the blog many times before he started dating Leslie. I met Ross through Ryan and he quickly became a good friend of mine when I was a freshman in college. I’ve known him for nearly 10 years and think the world of him. (Fun fact: When Leslie and Ross started dating, “Ross” became the number one search term on my blog for a solid month!)
Ross and Leslie started dating the year after our wedding and from the moment my sister told me about their first date, I had a feeling they stumbled upon something really special. I could tell there was something different and unique about their relationship and I was excited to watch it grow. As they continued dating, it was apparent to everyone around them that their love was the real deal. They were caring and affectionate. Patient and fun-loving. A great match!
A couple of weeks ago, Ross let me and my family in on his plans to propose. We were thrilled! After hearing Leslie and Ross tell the story of the proposal, it sounds like it was absolutely amazing! I’m so glad our family could be a part of the surprise at the end of the day! But let’s back up to the beginning…
The Proposal
Early last week, Ross had one of his coworkers email him, telling him he needed to come into work for a few hours on the 4th of July. He forwarded the email to Leslie with a sad face in the email body, but told her they’d do something fun to make up for it and to be ready around noon.
Well, that was all a ruse! Ross really set his alarm for 6 a.m. on the 4th of July, drove to St. Augustine, walked more than a mile down a secluded beach and set up a little picnic spot for them to visit later.
In the early afternoon, they got together and drove back down to St. Augustine to spend the day by the water.
First up was kayaking!
Then they rode beach cruisers along the beach, looking for a spot to stop to eat. After they had been riding for a while, Leslie said they should pick a spot and Ross joked that they should hijack some random peoples’ stuff. When he went to sit in their chairs, Leslie said they couldn’t really takeover someone’s picnic and that’s when Ross explained that he set it up for them earlier that day.
She was shocked and said she thought it was so sweet!
Not long after that, on the secluded beach, Ross told Leslie he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her and that he wanted the rest of his life to start right at that moment. (Yes, I cried when he told this part of the story to me!)
She was shocked and so, so excited! Leslie said her mind was racing and that she can’t remember most of what Ross said when he proposed! She remembers him getting down on one knee and feeling so surprised when she saw the ring, but her thoughts were moving a mile a minute.
That picture of her makes me smile so big. Pure joy!
The surprises didn’t stop there! Ross planned for a captain to meet them in St. Augustine and take them for a romantic 60-minute boat cruise following the proposal.
The boat took them all around St. Augustine.
Everyone was out and about to check out the 4th of July fireworks!
The cruise then dropped them off at Cap’s on the Water, the restaurant where they had their first date.
And that’s where we came in! Ross had his mom and our family waiting at the restaurant to surprise Leslie when they arrived!
We got there about 40 minutes early and anxiously sipped on mojitos as we waited for them to arrive.
Once I spotted their boat in the distance, I started freaking out. Luckily the other people dining outside at Cap’s were really into the proposal as well and didn’t mind me popping in beside their tables to snap some pictures as the captain docked their boat.
Heeeere they come!
Surprise!!!
Leslie was absolutely shocked that we were all in on the big surprise and she said that she was so happy Ross thought to include our family in their special day.
We all agreed that we felt honored to share such a special moment with Leslie and Ross. My dad ordered two bottles of champagne for the table and we made sure to toast to the newly engaged couple!
After Leslie and Ross took us through their whole proposal story, we ordered dinner and more drinks and had a great time celebrating their engagement and the 4th of July!
It was the perfect 4th of July.
Congratulations to Ross and Leslie!!!
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