Maggie and Garrett met through a mutual friend who knew Garrett from their shared hometown. Garrett was living with a friend of Maggie’s from high school at the time in the North End, and Maggie was living at home. Maggie’s friend, Missy, invited her over to “see JP and watch the World Series,” so she went over after work. Garrett was sitting buried in books and even went upstairs for a while to study. Later in the night they all grabbed dinner and sat at the bar. Maggie and Garrett were seated next to each other and never stopped talking. He asked her on a date a week later after the Red Sox parade.
Give us the details! When? Where? How?
We were dog sitting for his parents in Marblehead and had been there all week. We were planning to go to NYC to visit my friends who still live there and all week I had been frustrated by his lack of talking about the weekend. He made a hotel reservation and had my best friend who lives there make dinner reservations to make me convinced that we were in fact going. On the Friday we were suppose to leave, I woke up to the most incredible sunrise and walked into his parent’s kitchen to a note that said “Bad news, we aren’g going to New York, but good news is you are on a 3:45 ferry to Nantucket. Pack your bags, don’t ask questions and try to go with the flow. I love you, Garrett.”
No matter how much time, stress, effort, money you put into this one day, after it is all said and done, you are embarking on a lifelong journey with your partner.
I instantly burst into tears because I knew that a proposal was going to happen (he had always said he would love to propose in Nantucket.) It was a crazy experience having the whole day to think through the fact that you are most likely getting engaged. He even told my parents to act like they didn’t know what was going so all day I was bummed out thinking, “I can’t believe he didn’t ask my parents permission!” I got on the ferry after the longest drive of my life, I never stopped shaking that day. He had arranged a driver to pick me up at the ferry and bring me to the Cliffside in Nantucket. When I got to my room there was a bag of cookies, and ingredients for a cocktail along with a note that said “You are probably wondering what is going on but take a deep breath, get changed, and be ready for Jimmy (driver) to pick you up in an hour.
Shannon Cronin Photography
I instantly started worrying about what I was wearing so I face timed my mom who was still playing dumb. When I had my outfit on I said are you sure this looks ok? and she started crying with a smile on her face. I knew then she was in on it too so I started crying – talk about terrible pre-proposal look. Finally the driver picked me up and drove me as the sun was about to set all the way to Madaket Beach. When I arrived I saw Garrett sitting on a rock. The first thing out of my mouth with tears in my eyes was, “I love you. Are you nervous? It’s ok!” Per usual, Garrett was calm, cool and collected.
He grabbed my hand and walked me down the path and said, “I’m not one for crowds. Margaret Ann will you marry me?” That is all I remember him saying because I think I blacked out! It was absolutely surreal. I was so excited I flung my arms up and hit the ring box and the ring went right into the sand. That made for a hilarious and slightly nerve-wracking two minutes. After he proposed we drove back into town and had dinner just the two of us. Afterward several of our friends were waiting at a house nearby with sparklers and champagne. The next day my parents surprised me at lunch with my friend at Cru. It was the most magical weekend of my life.
What has been your favorite experience planning the wedding?
I had the most incredible weekend in NYC with my mom and maid of honor picking out my dress it made it feel like the wedding was really happening. Aside from that we have also loved the process of picking out our first dance song.
How do you stay sane under the pressures of wedding planning?
My mother and Garrett help to keep me sane. I am lucky to have a mother who has impeccable taste and is beyond patient with me and a fiancé who constantly reminds me that it will ALL work out and be the most special day of our lives. He and my mom both have helped me to keep in mind that no matter what, at the end of that day I will be marrying Garrett and that simple thought takes all of the worry away.
What is your favorite part of using Joy for your wedding?
How easy it has been to edit our site. It makes the process so much fun!
What piece of advice would you give couples to ensure that they use Joy to its fullest potential?
Get feedback from your bridal/grooms parties. I have loved working with them to make sure the site feels authentic and easy to use. After all, you want to be mindful of who is actually utilizing the site – your guests!
At Joy we believe that even though a wedding lasts a day, joy lasts forever. What does that mean to you?
Joy lasting forever is something I am quite certain I will experience in my life with Garrett. It means that no matter how much time, stress, effort, money you put into this one day, after it is all said and done, you are embarking on a lifelong journey with your partner. It is so easy to get caught up in the planning and the details of the day but if you hold on to each other and find happiness in even the stressful moments, you will be forever joyful.
Shannon Cronin Photography
