Second Go-See

FH came down a couple of Saturdays ago for his first and my second go-see of the venue. I was a little nervous because I knew this visit would determine whether or not we took the next step in putting the deposit down. I was almost certain that he would love it––it was all of the things that he wanted––it was intimate, beautiful, and affordable.

The only hang-up I had was that we had a bad experience within the park (not at the actual venue). To make a long story short, we ended up having a huge blow-up argument and I left him where he was in the park without a cell phone or money (which I wasn't aware of at the time. It turns out he left everything in my car). About five hours later, after I frantically searched for him and it grew dark, he arrived at my aunt's apartment (a couple of miles away), dehydrated (majorly bad since he is a diabetic) and drenched in sweat. Still to this day I have never been able to live it down (and my family even teases me!). And while we have been to the park a couple of other times and have good memories, of course the bad and the ugly trumps them all. So needless to say, I was a bit nervous.

He checked out the inside and outside and seemed pleased. I secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He wanted to sit on a bench overlooking the river, ducks, and geese. Although it was a bit chilly, and the trees were bare, it was still a beautiful park even in the winter. For the first time, as we sat in silence, I noticed the sound of the river and thought about how pleasant that would be on our wedding day.

Then a woman walked by with a nice camera. I stopped her and asked if she took wedding photos, but it turns out that she was just a student, barely learning the ropes. She did, however, give us an impromptu engagement shoot as we sat on the bench. She had to take portraits for her class assignment, and we became her perfect muse. She gave us her e-mail so that we could get the pics later (we are still waiting for them), so hopefully we we get to see them, even if they don't turn out so well.

So all turned out well, plus the added bonus of a photo shoot. I am glad that we can check the biggest item off our list and finally set a date. I am also glad for the opportunity to "redeem" myself in the form of exchanging vows and promising to never leave. In that aspect I am glad we will be able to trump an awful experience with a wonderful one.