And That's How It's Done

My awesome friend Sarah is engaged!  A gorgeous, sparkly ring on her finger a wonderful man at her side.  I am so excited for her.  

Sarah and I have known each other for a long time; she'd stay at my house on certain occasions, was always super fun to hang out with, and had the best ear around if I was having a problem and needed someone not involved to hear me out or give advice.  Christmas break 2012 she came over so we could catch up and hang out.  We were playing Skylanders and she'd keep making comments, "That's so funny, I have a friend Tim who says that all the time," "I'm starting to sound like Tim!" and, finally, "Tim and I are in a play together, one my roommate Leeana wrote." This followed by watching a video of this guy proposing to my friend and her quite tactfully turning him down.  After a lengthy explanation of the play, including the fact that she had to kiss Tim - or, rather, her character did - we watched the entire play in my basement.  And so I now knew of Sarah's friend Tim.

In April, Sarah and Mrs. B invited me to go to TN to visit Sarah at college.  Here I watched this play myself and took a few pictures in spite of harsh theater light.  I was able to meet some of her friends, including Tim, and instantly saw the connection between the two of them.  One of the night's I was there visiting, he asked her to be his girlfriend.  We were all so excited!  The coming winter, several months later, Mrs. B walked into church and came straight up to me.  She told me Sarah and Tim would be at church that day.  She then smiled and said, "Can you guess why Tim is in town?" Followed by gasps and exclamations and whens and hows.  She told me he was planning on April, again.  

So, before long April was here, and once again Mrs. B came up to me at church and said she was going down via Tim's request, and that I was to come too, if I could.  In short, of course I could.  My friend was getting engaged, and her soon-to-be-fiance had said I could be there. As if I would miss it. ;)  Tim's family also was able to be there.  We had a schedule of events that were part fun, part for keeping Sarah busy and as unsuspicious as possible.  An Improv show, The Cardinal Ball, getting nails done, playing board games, going out to eat; we all knew this was Sarah's weekend.  She just didn't know it yet. 

Here are some of the pictures! I took several, though some are more snapshot quality due to nerves and excitement.

Saturday

 

Hannah, Emily, Nathan, Sarah, Tim, Sara, Eli, Me

Sunday

At the beginning of the play, there is this awesome music and they swing dance to it, and in the play Tim's character proposes to Sarah's at the end of the music and she says no. Then the play begins. This year, Tim had the four other dances from the play relearn their parts. To get Sarah into place, we went out for ice cream until there was a "spur of the moment" "dance party" in the theater. So we went. And danced. And Tim disappeared. And then we all hid and left Sarah there, as she started to get suspicious and then the music started; the awesome swing dancing music. And the dancers preformed their roles just like before, only around Sarah, and handing her roses. They were all dressed up and happy making her so special. They had pictures of the play blown up huge and mounted and on easels, and they turned them over through the dance. She knew what was happening and was getting emotional/excited, and then the music stopped instead of continuing for the usual part where here and Tim would dance. And there was a pause. Seriously, it was like a dramatic pause from a movie while she stands there, waiting for Tim. Then he walked out from backstage complete in costume and all wonderful while a new song starts, "You'll Be In My Heart".  He walked over to her and - although we couldn't hear for the music, we asked her later - he said something to the effect of,  "I've asked you to marry me about so many times now, and you've turned me down every time. I thought I'd try once more." And he knelt down and she cried and I cried and the moms cried and she said Yes this time and about 50 people who were hiding all over the theater yelled and cheered and screamed and ran over to hug them. I heard someone say Tim has set the bar high for proposal expectations, and I rather agree.  He spent months planning this and getting it ready so it would be perfect for Sarah.  They had an after party planned and everything and we were up late and so excited and screaming in the car on the way back to the apartment. I took pictures, but I left the telephoto lens at home thinking I wouldn't need it, darn it, so I had to zoom in a bit. Though they had a friend photographer there with an awesome lens who was prepared and not crying (note to self, never photograph a friends wedding-I will fail it for sobbing through the whole thing.) So everything went perfect, and she is wonderfully happy and due to be married on the 27th - just a few days away!

 

Monday