The Proposal - Marisa's Version

I don't even know where to start. Let's see...AIDAN PROPOSED ON AUGUST 19, 2005, AROUND 9.45 PM ON CORAL BEACH – ON THE BEACH, IN THE MOONLIGHTThat was a mouthful! And you know what -- I was speechless! Okay, I had better give the setting of the evening, etc. as I gaze at this beautiful ring.We had a romantic dinner at Coral Beach. I actually teased him about why we need to dress up while he put on his tie and jacket in the parking lot. We entered the building, which was so beautiful with the flowers outside, the hardwood floors inside, and the parrot saying ‘hello’. We walked down the stairs into a lovely restaurant -- there was a single candle set in silver candlesticks on each table and beautiful summer flowers. We sat looking over the water -- which became even more beautiful as the full moon sparkled and spilled over the ocean. We ordered a South African red wine and enjoy a delicious four course meal. Conversation varied and included the quest for this year's charm (the comedy and tragedy masks).After dinner we went to look for the path to the beach. We got “lost” a few times so I was of the mind to not worry about it and to go back to the car and go home. Still, Aidan was persistent, and we walked all over the place. Finally we found the stairs to the beach and stood on a balcony above the beach and the moon sparkling over the ocean. Then he started talking about the 1,461 days that we had been together. I was impressed (as I would be) that he had calculated the exact number of days. He then led me down to the beach. I took off my shoes, but he didn't, which I found somewhat weird. We began walking along Coral Beach. I was commenting on how amazing the moon, the water, the sand and beach were. We would stop every so often and kiss-- and got irritated at the number of people walking along the beach and the kids playing with the beach chairs. We continued down the beach, and at some point he stopped and started talking about the 1,461 days again. I found it odd, but then he continued on talking about having another present (other than the year four charm). I can still remember how clearly he said “WILL YOU MARRY ME?”. I was stunned! My mouth fell open. I was so surprised. I could not say a word. I began to cry, and he hugged me close to him. Somehow, I squeaked out a “YES” and I felt him slide the ring on my finger. I was crying a lot by then. My legs felt weak. I was so happy! I wanted to explode. He was smiling so much and I thought how great he looked in the moonlight. He walked me over to a beach chair because I was close to collapse. I was still having trouble putting together a coherent sentence. He started telling me the stories -- abour talking with Veronica for ideas, about talking with my mom yesterday about the best way to ask my dad, and about asking my father last night. He told me about designing the ring, loading the specifications into AutoCAD, and putting together a model that he put on his pinky finger to see what it looked like when I would look through it and down upon it. He told me about his week of having to ring in his top draw in his room and his stressful morning where he had to find a way to calm himself down between 4 a.m. in 10 a.m. I was calmer, still crying off and on, but oh so happy! I didn't want to leave the beach when it became time to do so.The ring has a three stone setting. The middle stone is a princess cut diamond, .74 carats, clarity of VS1, and colour E. the side stones are amazing sapphires that weigh about half a carat all together. The three stones are set in platinum and the prongs look like a crown to me. It is definitely my personality, his personality, and our sensibilities represented in this ring. I was saying to him last night that it was odd that he went for three quarters of a carat. I explained that when I was in my early 20s in Boston, I went to a jeweler who told me that due to my long thin fingers I shouldn't wear anything larger than three quarters of a carat -- anything larger would overwhelm my hand and be uncomfortable for me to wear the ring. I know that the uncomfortable part is definitely true due to my ring collection that I have expanded over the years. I was amazed that he got it dead on. He considered my fingers and came up with the exact same result! And the sapphires are the first that he has ever given to me. He decided back in 2003 that sapphires had to be included in the engagement ring. The sapphires represent him (a September baby), and now it also will represent our wedding month. And best of all, blue is my favorite color!Somehow, we got to my place. We decided to keep the news to ourselves for a while -- to enjoy the first few hours of the new phase of our relationship. I told my parents around 10 a.m. -- 12 hours after the moonlit proposal. We called my brother and grandmother. The rest of the world will find out accordingly.I am just so amazed and overjoyed! We had champagne, and I had him opened his engagement present -- the Colin Cowie “For The Groom” book. We then began to fill out certain sections of our Wedding Journal -- both of us had fun with that task. We spent the last minutes of our anniversary/proposal day gazing at each other. Aidan said the “W” word for the first time to me -- it felt so good. We decided that we'd like to tell my priest the good news together -- possibly after a Mass one Sunday. I am so happy!

4 years on

We have done much together in the last few years. Vacations to London and Atlanta were memorable and quite fun. Aidan's participation in the Edinburgh Tattoo in 2003 was a dream that came true - and Scotland was very warm and welcoming that year. My return to school in 2004 to pursue a Doctroral degree has allowed both of us to grow and develop intellectually. And our theatrical/musical lives continue to prosper. It has been great fun - and we can't wait to see what happens next!

And then there's dating...

Our first date is an area of discussion as we really do not know whether our first lunch together classified as a date. We even do not know if our first evening out together was a date. We were really paranoid back then about the whole relationship thing - I didn't want one and he didn't want to move too fast (the benefits of developing a friendship before dating).If we consider February as our first date, we managed to have lunch at a chinese restaurant on February 6th 2001. If we consider our first evening out as our first date (I gravitate to this one), we went to the Architect's BBQ on August 18th 2001 at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. We look at August 18th (well, August 19th) as our anniversary date for our first kiss.August 18/19th 2001 is still a really interesting time that we explore on occasion. It was the first time that I went to an event with a male and did not feel the urge to be attached to his side all night - but I did enjoy watching him as he talked with his professional colleagues. It was also the first time where I was not required to be "on", i.e. speaking intelligently on a particular topic. These people were architects and engineers and designers. I was a just an IT, Policy and Strategy person who was enjoying my steak and talking to the people at my table about ballroom and salsa dancing. The best part was after the party ended when we sat on the dock outside of the yacht club and watched the shooting stars.
We sat and talked for hours that night about everything. We knew a lot about each other from the 8 months we had been friends but that night we got into our hopes and fears and managed to link various aspects of our stories together. This is important because both of us used to just share bits and pieces of information - never enough to paint a full picture but enough to get it off of our chests. It was comforting to be able to talk about what certain events had done to me on the inside and he shared why he had completely avoided being in relationships. Both of us were very cynical at the time and the conversation allowed each of us to figure out why we were that way.At about 2am we decided to head home. I had my bike (a motorcycle is much cheaper than a car in Bermuda) and he had his parent's car (station wagon at that). I had purposely taken my bike because I had, at the beginning of the night, intended to attend the BBQ with Aidan as a friend, not as a date. Added to that, he lived at the other end of the Island (about 30 minutes away from my home). But for some reason we did not want to stop talking. So Aidan, being the engineer that he is (and really crazy at that) loaded my bike in the back of the car. I was stunned.So we talked all the way home and after getting my bike out of the car and up the driveway we stalled for another hour. Both of us wanted to kiss each other. Both of us were concerned that we'd be seen as being too forward. Both of us were getting really paranoid (and I mean really paranoid). I finally just told him that I was going to kiss him I did) and after stalling for another 5 minutes we did. Then I literally ran up the driveway.

How we Met

Our meeting date varies by a whole year. Some wonder how could that be possible... I attribute it to my bad memory.Aidan says that we met in 1999 during the run of the Christmas Pantomime "Red Riding Hood". I was in the cast (Spirit of the Forest) and Aidan was crew. Apparently he met me as the crew prepped the stage for the forest scene. He says that he used to tease me about my fairy wings - I really do not remember.I remember meeting during November/December of 2000 in the run-up to "Aladdin". Aidan was crew boss and I was having my first true backstage experience (I was ordinarily in the lighting booth). We made polite introductions and then he had me help him to do something with a fly bar (a really heavy iron pipe that we hang parts of the set from). Something happened and he dropped the pipe and it landed on my thumb. Boy did it hurt! I could see a blood blister beginning to form and I complained that it would take months to grow out. He had the nerve to reply that it was something for me to remember him by... I decided then that he was obnoxious!We did become friends during the run of the show - his dry sense of humour had me groaning. Somehow he convinced me to help out with set-break. Actually, he promised me lunch. I managed to end up buying my own lunch so he promised me a lunch in the future. We had that lunch on February 6, 2001. Little did we know that we were starting our journey...