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Inspiration » Proposal Story » Joy Proposal Story: Christine & Flair

Joy Proposal Story: Christine & Flair

by Cali Pitchel

How did the two of you meet?

We were high school sweethearts! After his family moved, Flair transferred to my high school where we became friends. The following year, after being partners on a class field trip, Flair asked me out to the Winterball formal. As the president of our school’s breakdancing club, Flair’s dance moves impressed me enough that I agreed to be his date to his senior prom.

How long have you been together?

We are going into our 14th year of dating and will officially tie the knot this October!

Who proposed? Give us the details! When? Where? How?

Going on our 13th dating year, Flair planned a big birthday party for me and invited all of my family and closest friends. He surprised me by bringing my favorite cake out, candles lit, and a ring box on the top. He had a speech written on his phone which he told me later that he had tried to memorize but got so nervous that he ended up reading it anyways. After I said yes, both cheers and fireworks were launched into the sky. Thus my birthday party turned into an engagement party.

Joy is a state of mind and an orientation of the heart in a settled state of contentment.

What has been your favorite experience planning the wedding?

So far, I’ve enjoyed planning for our save the dates (I’m sending out magnetic polaroids!), putting together our website on withjoy.com and of course, shopping for the dress! 12 shops and 51 dresses later, I’ve finally found my dress. I’ve also have gotten a kick seeing how excited my fiancé is about the wedding and how much he’s been into planning for it. He has collected magazines for us and bought us tickets to a couple wedding show conventions.

How do you stay sane under the pressures of wedding planning?

This is a good question because as you can tell based on how long we’ve dated, we took our time before getting married solely due to anticipating the pressure. As the eldest grandchild on both sides of my huge Filipino family, this is supposed to be My Big Fat Filipino Catholic wedding. A friend of ours reminded us to slow down and take time to enjoy planning for the wedding together. When my fiancé notices that I am getting stressed out, he will swoop in to save the day by taking it off my hands altogether or distracting me with an impromptu date, surprise treats and hot cocoa or sending me little love notes throughout the day. It’s like a little reminder from time to time of why we’re doing this.

How did you hear about Joy?

I did some searches for the best free wedding website. I had seen a few of the commonly known wedding websites from friends who have gotten married over the years and wanted to see if anything new came out recently. Joy came up often on “The Best Of” lists that I had found, and was even an honorable mention on a list featuring premium wedding websites (meaning ones you had to pay for). I was convinced to give it a shot!

What is your favorite part of using Joy for your wedding?

It’s easy and free! It’s extremely intuitive in both the back end as the admin and the front facing product which my guests see. I love how the story reads like a book and I enjoy the Wedding Party feature. My wedding party has commented on how “put together” it is, and I explained that it is largely part of the design. I am also thrilled that I can easily edit on both desktop and a mobile device, and then view it, plus I can separately customize the main display between the desktop and the mobile device. It’s very smooth. The active countdown is a nice touch!

What piece of advice would you give couples to ensure that they use Joy to its fullest potential?

The pictures make a huge difference on the website. Take time to select your photos and assign cover photos to each of your sections. It creates a beautiful slideshow for your guests as they page through the info. I only wish the mobile version and the app version looked as cool as the desktop version with its cover photos, but I think that’s where the developers are taking it. Also, decide on what kind of voice/tone you want to use and have fun with it! Have the website represent your personalities. E.g. it doesn’t have to be formal or stuffy if you don’t want it to be.

At Joy we believe that even though a wedding lasts a day, joy lasts forever. What does that mean to you?

Joy is a feeling, and a desirable outcome of an event. It’s like when you have a good/bad experience anywhere in life. You may not remember the details like what you wore or what was said or the planning leading up to it, but you’ll always remember how you felt. For us, Joy is a state of mind and an orientation of the heart in a settled state of contentment. It is something or someone that provides a source of happiness, a reason to be joyful. Once the wedding day has passed, it is up to the couple to fulfill their life role of being their significant other’s reason for joy.

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