How we got engaged - HIS Story
HIS STORY: On Saturday, February 21, 2009, with the help of Laurie's closest and devoted friends and after a few months of covert ops, I surprised Laurie (as well as a small audience of high school students and the Dramma Mammas), by showing up at Ramsey High School where she's been volunteering as a stagehand and costume designer for years. Rehearsals for an upcoming musical were underway so I knew she'd be there and I had asked her parents for their blessing a couple of months prior. I'd had this all planned out in my head since summer 2008 and just needed some help making it happen. Her one friend (Kate) picked me up. When I got to the school, her other friends (Rene and Jason) hid me offstage and wired me with a mic. The theater director assembled everyone on the crew, consisting of about 30 high school students, and Mammas (Including her mom who was there sewing). On cue, the spotlight came on and out I went. She saw me come out but thought I just came by to hang out. Then she saw people's cameras come out and asked me, "Honey, what are you doing...?" Apparently, the theater director said that this is the first time in the school's history that anyone has done this - A Brooklyn-boy makes his mark in Jersey!! MANY thanks to Rene, Eileen, Jason, Doug, and Kate for helping me with this and putting up with her inquisitions for the last several months, haha:)
How we got engaged - HER Story HER STORY: Saturday morning I got up and headed to the high school as usual and the Dramma Mamma's didn't seem to have much for me to do (little did I know Eileen had filled one or two of them in on the plan for the day). So I wandered into the theatre and decided to help/bug Jason since he happened to be there. He seemed thrilled to have me follow him and Rene around as they were "fixing" a microphone. When Rene and Eileen and Jason came in I didn't think much of it. Eileen is the co-choreographer, Jason does the lighting, and Rene helps wherever needed. But when Kate walked in I was surprised but she told me she stopped by because she had been visiting her mother who was recovering from surgery and she wanted to drop off the coupon holder that she had purchsed online. I believed that and we chatted for a while then I turned around and saw Jon up on the stage. He had a wire hanging out of his coat (which turned out to be a microphone) and I thought oh he got bored at home decided to take the train to ramsey and he is listening to his ipod. When I turned back toward the audience I saw ALL of the kids sitting in the seats all the Mammas had filed in and my friends were holding cameras and I figured out what he was up to. I went up on the stage and it was a very sweet and romantic proposal!
THE RING
Jon proposed with his mom's engagement ring which she offered to him when he told her his plan. It has a round cut center stone and one small tapered baguette on each side and its a white gold band. It's beautiful and I very much appreciate the sentimental value that goes along with it!