A very special birthday dinner

So, after Justin and I went shopping to find my perfect ring style, I got my stinky nose out of it (as much as I possibly could)! I kept wondering how long it would take for him to make a purchase, and I kept thinking of the most opportune moments in which he could propose.

One thing about Justin that I absolutely love is that when I ask for something, he somehow manages to get it. Seriously, he is a great listener (GASP! What?!?! Crazy…I know!); he remembers all of the little clues that I drop, and even picks up on hints I’m not aware I’m giving! Case in point: I was looking for a new bikini online one day, and was oohing and ahhing over one in particular. And, wouldn’t you know it? That little beauty arrived in a box a few weeks later! Good job! Anyway, being the control freak that I am, I did mention to Justin that if I could have the perfect proposal, I would want to be dressed up and look fabulous.

My birthday was right around the corner, and Justin suggested that we get gussied up and go to our favorite restaurant (and, consequently, the location of our first date: Casa Ludovico…seriously, if you are in the Clearwater area, you need to make the trek to this restaurant, it is phenomenal) to celebrate. I spent a few hours going through my closet, unable to decide on the perfect outfit. I had a feeling that it was “the night,” so I wanted to make sure I was picture-ready in the event that I was right (even though my mom assured me that he had not yet asked my dad for permission yet…and I knew that he wouldn’t propose without doing so. My mom LIED!). I landed on a pretty turquoise Calvin Klein dress with a pair of Betsey Johnson heels, and Justin and I went on our merry way.

In the car, Justin pointed out my birthday card that was sitting between the seats. He informed me that I had to wait until dessert to open it. When we arrived at the restaurant and began to eat dinner, I couldn’t help but notice that he was inhaling his pasta at an incredibly fast rate. He had polished off his plate before I knew it, and I began to scoop some of my own dinner over to him. I guess he wanted to get on to dessert as soon as possible!

One of my favorite things about Casa is their tiramisu. Oh my goodness, I DREAM of their tiramisu…it is that good. I dare you to look at it and NOT drool…

(Ok, this is picture from a different event, but its the only photo I have of the dessert...yummm)

We never go to Casa without ordering dessert, and this night was no different. I told Justin to go ahead and order it while I ran to the ladies’ room. When I returned, I noticed a group forming around the kitchen doors. Every single staff member was converging there, and they began to walk to our table, carrying a plate of tiramisu. One of the waiters was holding a bouquet of roses that he presented to me. The light bulb switched on over my little head. Justin prodded me to open my birthday card. It read:

“Katie – I enjoy every day that I get to spend with you. From the first time we met on the beach to the many times we get to just hang out and watch movies. I couldn’t imagine being with anyone else at this moment…”

I looked up from the card, and Justin had produced a small black box (which the bartender had been hiding behind the bar). I stared at the ring in surprise…it was exactly the one I had been eyeing. I am pretty sure that something like “SHUT UP!” escaped my mouth (how classy)…and I was so excited that I missed the rest of what he had prepared to say to me.

I tuned back in to hear him say, “Katie, will you marry me?” and promptly began to kiss him. At this point, the entire restaurant’s attention had been drawn to our table, and everyone was waiting while Justin was giving his speech. Some guy yelled out, “did she say yes?!?!” before he even officially asked. Did I actually say yes though? I’m not sure! I suppose it was an implied yes. When he put the ring on my finger, the entire restaurant broke out into cheers and applause, and I’m not going to lie, I really enjoyed being temporarily the center of attention. Restaurant patrons kept asking to look at the ring, and I was more than happy to show them of course!

With that, we were officially betrothed! The phone calls began on the way home from dinner, where my mom and dad had some champagne waiting for us when we returned! Best…birthday present…ever…

Was your proposal a public event or a private affair?