Planning for the Planner- The Proposal
- Karissa Petrellese
- Feb 3, 2017
- 5 min read
Prelude
Hello Everyone! In case you have not met me yet, my name is Karissa Petrellese. I am one of the owners of NJ Wedding Pros and I plan weddings & events for a living. I love my job and I love my clients. I help my couples book all the services they need for their special day under one contract and offer vendor coordination to them at no extra cost. I additionally offer day of coordination and full wedding planning packages for couples that would like me there for the big day to run the show! However, I have found that most couples are more stressed about booking their vendors and coordinating the details for their special day because they are limited on time and are overwhelmed. Which is why, it brings me joy to ease this stress for all my couples. Because at the end of the day, I know I made a difference on the most important day of their life.
If not having that connection with my couples is enough, I now get to connect with them on another level. How?!? I feel their stress because I am in the process of planning my own wedding as we speak. So, I thought it would be a good idea to share my experience in a series of blogs called "Planning for the Planner". Within this series, I will share pictures, stories and tips from the beginning of my planning process till the wedding day. I hope you all enjoy!
Starting from the Top- The Proposal
Almost one year ago to the date, the love of my life proposed to me. It happened on February 6th, 2016 and I will never forget it...
The Engagement Ring
We had been dating for over two years and a few months prior to the proposal, I began looking at engagement rings for fun! I found one I absolutely loved at Litmans Jewelers and passed off a large hint by taking a picture of it for him. Some couples prefer when their partner surprises them with the ring, which is amazing! But, since I can be picky with jewelry I wanted to show him what I liked; as this is one piece of jewelry I will have for the rest of my life. I think picking out the ring depends on the couple's preference, there is definitely no right or wrong situation as long as you both are happy with the process!
Planning the proposal
Turns out after I showed him the picture of the ring, he loved it so much that he went to put a deposit on it the next day and starting planning the proposal. He took a good 3 months, to plan a perfect proposal. Lucky enough he had a lot of help! Being that I was in the business and had connections with a florist, photographer and videographer, he wanted to make sure all of those elements were present during this special moment. He stole my vendor contact list to email our photographer/videography, Melissa, and called my parents to let them know he will be needing flowers from their amazing flower shop. He also called our family & friends to have them their to celebrate after the moment happened. All without me knowing, which was very impressive! I have a lot of respect for men and women who take on this responsibility, I can't even imagine how nerve racking it is to plan the engagement and wait for the perfect moment. It sure is a lot of pressure, but well worth every single second.
The Big Day
I remember that day like it was yesterday. It was one of the coldest days of the year and I was working at our Red Bank office, helping a good friend with her wedding planning & cake tasting. My fiance told me we would be going out to dinner for Valentines day at Buona Sera later that night. Little did I know, he had been in running around all morning and checked in at Oyster Point hotel right down the street from my office. He picked up the flowers, coordinated details with my best friend to set-up the table at the restaurant, met with the photographer/ videographer at the hotel to begin documenting...... and just waited patiently until our office closed. At 6:00, he made sure all the details were in place and made his way over to my location. In my mind, we were heading to the restaurant for a nice dinner...
We walked into Buona Sera and went up the stairs to the second level. As soon as I took the last step, I was overwhelmed by a beautiful sight. A bright light from the videographer's flash illuminated our table set with red rose petals, tealights, an adorable teddy bear and a bottle of champagne.
I was completely taken back, my fiance took my hand and got down on one knee to propose. The entire room clapped to congratulate us and our two best friends surprised us as they watched the entire moment take place. It was the best moment of my life and it was just getting better.... After a wonderful dinner, my fiance planned for our family & friends to meet us for drinks at Gotham to celebrate. My parents booked us the room at Oyster Point Hotel and planned a brunch for the next morning as a special gift. Those 24 hours were completely magical and I am extremely lucky to have such incredible people in my life. Everyone contributed to making that night absolutely unforgettable. It's moments like this that you will remember for a lifetime. View our proposal video & photo montage here.
Every couples proposal is unique and that is what I love about it.
Some couples want it in private or around complete strangers, some want their family & friends there to witness it. Some want it documented with videos and pictures, some keep it in their memory as a special moment just between them and their significant other. Some show their love with flowers and a ring, others simply share an intangible promise between each other. No matter how you do it, all proposals are beautiful in their own way.
Looking to get engaged? Know anyone who is? We are here to help! Check out our Proposal Package.
Now it's your turn! Share your proposal with us and we will highlight your story in our next blog! Send us an email or comment below.
We love all proposals and can't wait to share your experience!
xoxo
Karissa
NJ Wedding Pros
43 W. Front St. Suite 20
Red Bank, NJ
732-747-0900
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