Where it all started…
This story begins with a simple swipe right on hinge (for the folks that don’t know what this is it’s a dating app). We shared a few silly conversations while chatting, but quickly moved to texting. After a bit of talking I (Crystal) thought Spencer had ghosted me. While I know I can be dramatic to be fair the last time I had heard from him was at 11am and it was now 7pm, most normal people would have responded in 8 hours. I was sitting at a table in Plaza Azteca with some friends and was losing hope. Turns out I am dramatic and Spencer isn’t a normal person. He failed to inform me that he worked 2am-10am and slept during the day hence the no texting. The next day he sent me money for a coffee and I knew he was a keeper. This picture is the first picture we ever took together. While there were a couple of dates in between this was a monumental day, Valentine’s Day 2021. While an extremely pivotal moment in our relationship it was far from normal, something you’ll grow to realize is we are not normal at all. Spencer came stumbling into my apartment at the time carrying a giant Mickey Mouse, flowers, and a huge box of chocolates. We always joke he is like Bambi when he is learning how to walk, if you’ve spent any time with Spencer you know he is a bull in a china shop. After exchanging gifts we left for a very nice dinner where we sat at the bar and Spencer ordered a Caesar salad and a ginger ale, his stomach hurt, but insisted to not let that deter me from getting a drink or a heavy meal. Spencer barely ate his salad but I enjoyed my sangria and pasta dish. The car ride home was the moment I knew this man was someone I wanted to bring into my life. He is so caring, kind, and gentle. This picture will forever encapsulate the sparks of young love and little did we know the beginning of our happily ever after.
One year in the making…
365 days with my forever person. The person I get to tell all my ideas, problems, anxieties, jokes, questions, and everything in between. For this picture, we were instructed to pose for the photo op that Crystal set up for us in animal kingdom, but she didnt even need to put on a smile for the picture. That was her face the entire trip. To celebrate one year together, we got the chance to party it up at the most happiest place on earth. Everything from Jasons once in a lifetime magic kingdom surprise, to reading the word cantaloupe on the menu at an Italian restaurant in Epcot, thinking that it was a fancy Italian word for a a type of spice or meat, only to find out the chef has placed fruit on my pizza, this trip was the best of our lives. But not just because of that, or even the magic, the rides, the drinks, or the food, but because I got to spend it with my future wife. She enjoyed it so much she got a tattoo of Mickey on her right wrist. I skipped out on the ink, but something else stayed with me. And that was the look of pure ecstasy and awe in Crystals eyes, with Mickey ears on her head, watching fireworks light up Cinderellas castle. That is an image I will hold with me forever.
The Proposal...
I am not a planner. Crystal is usually the one who sets everything up. So when it came time to try to provide Crystal with a proposal worthy of her love, I had to make sure it was as special as it could be. Early in our relationship, we went to the Hammett Hotel in Newport for Crystals birthday. That weekend meant the world to us. We got to know each other so deeply and we both realized this is special. This is going to be the person we want to be with for the long haul. So when trying to come up with places to give her the ring, I knew it had to be Hammett. Through that time, I worked with family and friends to help make the weekend in August the best it possibly can be. I figured out how to book an Airbnb, plan an impromptu photo shoot (thank you Mr. Vicente) and most importantly, how to buy a ring that will symbolize the first step in forever. So once everything was set in place, I whisked Crystal away on a “weekend trip” to a surprise location. Friends and family were ready in waiting at the hotel as we drove to our destination. I felt pretty chill about the whole thing until we passed the bridge that makes it feel like you are ascending into heaven (in a way, I was!). Once I reached the other end of the bridge, the anxiety started to set in. Parking was an absolute nightmare and once we did find a spot near the hotel, a moment happened that helps define our relationship. We get out of the car and I walk over to her side to greet her, and I try to smoothly grab the ring from her mother she had on off her hand. Thinking I’m being Mr. Smooth, I go “you might not be needing this anymore”. Crystal then immediately says back to me “that’s my right hand you idiot”. We both start to laugh and walk over to the spot. At this point she has a feeling what’s about to happen. We turn onto the dock attached to the hotel and I get down on one knee. The patrons around us started to cheer as Crystal embraces me with an emphatic yes. August 20th, 2022.
