It is no secret that wedding planning has been hard on me.
I wrote about the journey through joy and pain multiple times throughout the past months.
Last night, I was putting together some last minute details for the wedding and I came across the photos from the day that Jordan proposed to me. I started to cry. Sometimes we get so caught up in where we are going that we forget the blessing of what we already have. I am guilty of this in many areas of my life but especially with the wedding.
A wedding is a party.
It’s a celebration that started with the moment Jordan and I decided to spend our lives together.
Here is the moment if you haven’t seen it yet.
I wanted to write a reflection on my favorite parts of that day and moment.
How he chose THE ring.
The day that Jordan proposed I was completely surprised. I had no idea whatsoever. I had been in LA for about two weeks because I was living with Jeanine and Morgan to work on a few things for YouTube. Jordan and I missed each other like crazy but he kept telling me that he could not make it out to LA despite my deep desire to make him come see me. Toward the latter part of my time there I almost bought him a flight but he said that he was going to be in NYC with some people he works with. He even called me the day of the engagement and said he had plans for Broadway that night.
The reality is that Jordan had crafted an elaborate plan to propose to me and everyone was in on it. The “LA Tourism Department” sponsored an “Epic Day in LA” for Morgan, Jeanine, Kacey and I. We went to Dry Bar, a Malibu Wine Safari, and then a magic show that ultimately led me (as part of the act) to the rooftop where Jordan actually proposed.
I won’t go into details of the day but I remember the feeling of genuine surprise on that day. When I close my eyes and think about that feeling I had seeing Jordan on the roof and then our families coming out shortly after it is so special. Whether it is in a park, whether it is on a roof, or in a bar, I feel like no one can ever recreate the feeling of surprise when the man that you love gets down on one knee.
The Ring.
Okay, this is where I am going to get a bit girly. I am not an easy person to buy for. I am very picky and very particular about my style. Of course I had a longstanding Pinterest board where I saved my dream wedding ring, imagining the special guy who would present the ring to me on one knee. I had no clue what the reality would be, but this ring and this guy exceeded anything I could have ever dreamed.
When I was in the phase of dropping hints about my ring I probably showed Jordan 10 very different designs. But here is the thing… I love my ring. And the funny thing is that Jordan did it all himself without any input from me. My ring is from a California based designer called Tacori. Jordan was very adamant about getting me a ring that was “classic with a hint of Dani”. I have no idea where he got that phrase but he says it all the time when he tells the story about how he chose the ring.
Tacori is all handcrafted in LA and they take these classic looks to blend them with incredible metalwork. So Jordan didn’t just buy a Tacori ring online. This boy reached out to them on social media blindly and plead his case to make something extremely unique for me. Funny thing is we are actually close with their entire team now and they came to our engagement party right after he proposed in LA!
I have never loved anything as much as I love this ring. I love it because it is classic enough to never go out of style but originally handcrafting to always feel unique to me, with my name engraved on the inside of the band. But I love it most because Jordan took the time to make it for me. It is not about the ring. It is about the fact that when you get engaged you have something special that will always be with you to represent a bond that only you have with another. The design of my ring was a reflection of the unique design that God had for Jordan and I to be one.
The Story.
Whether you believe it or not, your life is a story unfolding. It is original and it is unique to you. It has many chapters and each is significant to the next. I am grateful for the story that started and unfolded that day and I am forever thankful that it was as special as it was. It is the first chapter of a new story that I get to tell with Jordan and it started with a bang. Even if you are in a season of singleness, it is part of your story.
As I look toward the biggest day of my life that is coming on May 12th, I wanted to reflect on the start of it all. What a crazy 10 months it has been. I have felt every range of emotion in this process. But as I reflect on where it all began I can’t help but feel anything other than gratitude. I am grateful for all the seasons God brought us through to prepare our hearts for one another; grateful for the man that God has made Jordan into. I am grateful for the story that unfolded that special day, and for the process of wedding planning; grateful for the life I get to live with my best friend. There is so much to be grateful for. When you look back and remember what God has already given you then you experience gratitude and that brings joy.
xo,
Dani
StyleStalker Dress // Andrew Stevens Espadrille Sneakers // Michele Watch // My Ring
