Give us the proposal details! When? Where? How?
We are members of Portland Le Diner en Blanc, a pop-up/flash dinner that originated in Paris 30 years ago. It is a secret dinner where all participants wear white and bring their own table, chairs, table settings, and dinner with them to a secret location for a flash event. We went to our second annual event in August 2017 with a group of friends. We were all decked out in white with a beautiful place setting and location on the Portland waterfront. There were over 300 people at this pop-up dinner and the tables were set up in long rows. The guys sit on one side of the table and the girls sit on the other. Right after dinner finished, the aerial acrobatics were introduced, and just before sunset, Drew got up and walked around all the tables to come and kneel at my side. He pulled a ring out of his pocket and told me that he loved me, wanted to spend the rest of his life with me and asked me to marry him! My best friend and her husband were there and she was able to get my answer on video. Everyone cheered and toasted as they witnessed our engagement. The event continued with sparklers, aerial acrobats, dancing, photo booth fun and tons of congratulations from other dinner guests. I love this event and always plan it out in great detail. I love that Drew chose this time to propose! I had no idea it was coming which made it so special. We will continue to go to this event every year from now on and celebrate the anniversary of our proposal.
What has been your favorite experience planning the wedding?
We both love our wedding venue! We are doing the ceremony and reception at a minor league baseball stadium. The ceremony will take place at home plate with everyone sitting in the stands. The reception will be on the concourse and we have access to the entire stadium including dugouts, locker room, batting cages, the large stadium lights, scoreboard and sound system. There has only been one other wedding at this location so it’s very unique!
How do you stay sane under the pressures of wedding planning?
We are both in our late 30’s and this is the first wedding for each of us. I don’t really feel any pressure! At this age, I know myself and I know my fiance. We are planning the wedding we want without letting outside influences affect us. We make quick decisions without worrying too much about the details. We know it will all come together.
What is your favorite part of using Joy for your wedding?
I love the RSVP feature!
What piece of advice would you give couples to ensure that they use Joy to its fullest potential?
Get all of your guest list information put together in a spreadsheet before uploading it to the website.
At Joy we believe that even though a wedding lasts a day, joy lasts forever. What does that mean to you?
The wedding is not the most important thing in a marriage, it’s the connection between the couple. The wedding should be a celebration of the life that you have chosen to make together. It shouldn’t be the end-all event.
