Give us the proposal details! When? Where? How?
Ryan planned a picnic with all of our friends at Frank G. Bonelli Regional County Park in San Dimas. My best friend drove into town from NorCal and explained (or convinced me) that she was in town because she had to take a state test for school. Being the gullible person that I am, I believed her and invited her to come to the picnic (which she knew about all along). She accepted and then proposed that we get our nails done before the picnic just for fun. So we, along with my sister, made our way to the nail salon to get our nails done and then hopped in the car to go to the picnic.
Gianna Jacoub
At the picnic, we ate pizza, talked for a while, and then decided to play a game. The game was called Bear, Hunter, Princess which is a variation of Rock, Paper, Scissors. To play, you stand back to back with a partner and then turn around at the same time and make the sign of either the Bear, Hunter, or Princess. The Bear kills the Princess (acting as though you are a bear making your hands look like bear claws), the Hunter shoots the bear (acting as though you’re shooting a rifle), and the Princess woos the Hunter (placing your hands on your face and act as though you are flirting). A few of our friends played before us and it seemed like a lot of fun! Finally, it was time for Ryan and me to play. We got in position by standing back to back while everyone got out their phones and started recording (which I thought was a little strange but I went with it). All of our friends counted to three and when I turned around to make the sign of the Princess, Ryan was down on one knee with a ring in his hand.
Gianna Jacoub
I could see him shaking as he spoke. I was so shocked I couldn’t move or process what he was saying. Time stood still. After what seemed like forever, I heard the question and he asked, “Will you marry me?” gazing at me with smiling eyes. Regaining my composure, I instantly shook my head up and down as I stuttered, “Yes!” He then embraced me in his arms and everyone in the park cheered. After a lot of hugging and kissing, we joined our families who had thrown us an engagement party on the other side of the park. Everyone congratulated us and we ate sandwiches and cake until it grew dark. It was a perfect day.
Gianna Jacoub
What has been your favorite experience planning the wedding?
Probably finding my dress and creating our website!
How do you stay sane under the pressures of wedding planning?
I don’t! I freak out all the time about little details (I’m a bit of a perfectionist). I just try to remind myself when I’m feeling overwhelmed that our wedding day is only one day of the rest of our lives together. I’m never going to get to relive this season of my life and I need to soak up every moment I can and be grateful that I get to spend my life with my soulmate!
Gianna Jacoub
What is your favorite part of using Joy for your wedding?
Getting to share our story with our guests and providing them with an easy way to RSVP!
What piece of advice would you give couples to ensure that they use Joy to its fullest potential?
Take your time building your website and really allow it to be a reflection of you as a couple.
At Joy we believe that even though a wedding lasts a day, joy lasts forever. What does that mean to you?
My wedding day will be over in the blink of an eye, but the joy that comes from both my partner and the Lord Jesus Christ will reign inside me until the day I die. Joy lives deep within each of us and can be shared with anyone willing to receive it.
