We are the couple that everyone pictured to last forever, and a little more than a year ago he asked me to be his wife. With my heart throbbing out of my chest, I couldn’t believe the day had come and of course, I said yes! There are a few special moments in a person’s life they remember forever and the day you agree to spend the rest of your life with someone is definitely, on the top of that list.
I remember it like it was yesterday, we were waiting in line to get on the Ferris Wheel in Coney Island, NY. I was reading aloud all of the facts about the Ferris Wheel on the wall next to us. He had made it a point to say we could not ride in a cart that was swinging, and I had agreed. I know now it was to make sure the ring didn’t fall when he proposed. I was so excited to get to the top and see the view, but little did I know when I stepped on, I would step off engaged to my amazing Fiancé.
The Ferris Wheel began to turn and he said, “So, I want to talk to you about something…” my immediate thought was, great, he’s breaking up with me and I replied with, “That doesn’t sound very comforting.”
Without a breath he stopped my train of thought and began telling me all that he loved about me and how I was the only one for him. It was the sweetest thing anyone had said to me and by the time we got to the top, he had pulled out the ring. I could not believe it!
Once we got off I called my mom and dad, and then my sister. I was so excited to tell everyone. Little did I know, not everyone would be nearly as happy for us as we were. Unfortunately, my whole family doesn’t speak to one another, the only person I reached out to other than my immediate family was my Godmother. My parents, siblings and Nana were completely supportive. Other than them, people passed a lot of judgement.
I was asked if I was sure getting married was something I wanted to do. I was told I was a great girl, and asked if I really want to be engaged this young, I was told to live my life and now’s the time to be with ‘multiple people.’ All of the things I was told left me speechless. I had heard this from family members as well as random people that saw my ring and asked, “How old are you?” I heard it so much that I rehearsed a line for every comment previously stated. It bothered me to the point where I didn’t want to tell people my happiest news. I thought this symbol of love on my finger would only draw hate.
I questioned why just because I was young, I was supposed to have the ‘college experience’ of being with multiple people? One night stands and a bunch of meaningless flings did not sound like something that was ever up my ally. I wanted to know I always had someone to rely on, that loved me unconditionally and wanted to be with me as much as I wanted to be with them. So explain to me why I should want to pass that up?
Another member of my family said, “I need to learn how to be smart.” Smart? Seriously, I could not get over it.
My fiancé is absolutely incredible and each person that said these things met him maybe once, twice or never! The truest statement I could say would be, no one was as happy for us, as we were for ourselves. And for a while I was okay with that. I just wanted to bask in the ecstasy every one feels when they get engaged.
I see people all the time getting engaged on social media and all of their friends and family posting pictures with them with all of these super excited captions. My parents are not social media savvy and his mom ended up being the only one to post something about us. That was it. Not a single friend of mine, not any of my family, no one.
I always dreamed of falling in love and getting married at a young age and so far, I am half way there. The effect other people’s skepticism has had on me was massive but in no way did they taint how excited I was about my engagement, nor did they make me question it as it seemed they wanted me to. My Fiancé has always stood by me when I would get upset and tell me not to let it bother me.
To this day he is the man I still and will always want to spend my life with. He is a sweetheart, a gentleman and someone who always manages to make me smile and laugh uncontrollably. To this day, I am so grateful for that moment on the Ferris Wheel August of 2015. And to my Fiancé, always know I never think twice about marrying you.