Give us the proposal details! When? Where? How?
After collecting the custom-made engagement ring in Brooklyn, Linus flew from New York to Lisbon, Portugal. There he spent a few weeks scoping out the perfect spot and buying a guitar for the proposal. Melissa came to spend the last week of the trip together, and two days before Valentine’s Day they went for a sumptuous steak lunch at Atalho Real, inside a converted 19th-century palace. Linus had the staff hide the guitar in the back garden which was secluded and unused during the winter. He serenaded Melissa by the fountain, overlooking the city. He rushed through “One and Only” by Adele, because of nerves, then sang “Let It Be Me”, which he had heard Nina Simone’s cover of and knew he had to sing it for the proposal. Melissa recognized it and knew it was special because he had been singing it for the last three months as a wake-up song when he called her every morning they were apart. He then got down on one knee, popped the question, and she said, “Yes”. We got a heart-shaped balloon and artisanal chocolate gelato and celebrated in the nearby Principe Real garden under the Cyprus tree!
What has been your favorite experience planning the wedding?
Being able to bounce food and activity ideas off each other has been very helpful. And honestly, creating our personal website together on Joy has been a smooth and enjoyable experience! We talk about color themes, borders, and take turns filling out the sections.
How do you stay sane under the pressures of wedding planning?
We take a lot of breaks to relax, have tea and coffee, and enjoy each other’s company. We also cut out a lot of traditional aspects neither of us really care for (DJ, dancing, full bar, flowers) and are realistic about sticking to our budget.
What is your favorite part of using Joy for your wedding?
Creating our personal website together on Joy has been such a smooth and enjoyable experience! We picked it over other sites because the designs are customizable without being overwhelming, and the user interface is so welcoming and intuitive. We have so much control over what we want and don’t want on the website, and it ends up looking beautiful.
What piece of advice would you give couples to ensure that they use Joy to its fullest potential?
Really lean into the customization! If a question or whole section isn’t for you, cut it out! Don’t like the font? Change it.
At Joy we believe that even though a wedding lasts a day, joy lasts forever. What does that mean to you?
Joy means being more than merely content, it means setting a new baseline for happiness. Joy comes from knowing you have a partner for life. You have a partner to celebrate the high points with but you also have tremendous trust to be a stalwart companion and confidante, no matter what life throws at you. Joy softens the blows of the hard times and amplifies the sweetness of the good times.
