Brittany had no idea.

She had worked until 11pm the night before and was just tired enough that she hadn’t picked up on any of the subtle clues. Most notably, her best friends Carol, Kayla, and Brooke had taken her to get her nails done just a few days before. In Brittany’s eyes, the plan for the day was we were going to have lunch at a new restaurant in the American Tobacco Campus, go Christmas shopping at South Point mall, and then meet up with friends to watch the UNC basketball game.

However, as we approached the lunch spot I pulled her aside and told her that we didn’t actually have lunch reservations. She was confused, but quickly understood what was happening when I got down on one knee. I spoke from the heart and asked her if she would spend the rest of her life with me. It was all a blur– I can’t remember word for word what I said, and I’m not even sure if any words came out of Brittany’s mouth. But she enthusiastically and repeatedly nodded “YES” as she fought back tears and I slipped the ring onto her finger. Meanwhile, Roy, our photographer, emerged from the shadows and a small group of bystanders clapped.

That wasn’t the last surprise of the day, though.  After wrapping up photos, we headed home to start calling family and close friends. Unbeknownst to Brittany, all of those people already knew the good news and were waiting for us at Ramblers, the neighborhood bar which was conveniently on the way home. For the second time that day, I could see Brittany’s face fill with shock and then joy as she peered into the glass windows and realized there was a party waiting for her. I owe a special thank you to to Erin, Kayla, and Carol for helping plan and execute this special part of the day.

By the end of the day we were exhausted but filled with love and excitement. We look forward to celebrating with all of you in the coming year!