I love a good proposal. Watching my friends get engaged has always been such a joy. I loved hearing how each story unfolded; the surprises, the emotions, and the love. But this post isn’t about them. It’s about me! It’s finally my turn to tell my story.

The weeks leading up to it, I was a little suspicious. Jay (my now fiancé!) had planned a date for us an entire month in advance; something he rarely does. This should have been my first clue. Still, I was so excited about the date that I pushed the thought aside.

As the day got closer, Jay started helping me choose an outfit and encouraged me to do my hair and makeup a certain way. The only thing he wouldn’t weigh in on? Whether or not I should get my nails done. Suspicious, right?

But I brushed it off. My mom told me he hadn’t asked my dad for my hand yet, and one of my best friends, Ariel, talked me out of overthinking it. She reminded me of her false alarm, when we were both convinced Clayton (her now husband) was going to propose over Christmas. Turns out, he was just a great gift-giver. So, I let go of my instincts and trusted Jay’s plans.

The Day Of

The morning of the date started slowly. Jay had told me earlier that his dad volun-told him to pick up a family friend from the airport and that he needed to bring a cooler for some Indian food the friend was bringing. Believable because that’s how Indian families are! He just told me to be ready by 11:00 am.

While he was out, I put on my white dress, clipped my hair up, and wore Jay’s favorite lipstick shade. I spritzed on the perfume he gifted me last Christmas and waited. Nervous energy took over, so I started tidying up the apartment. I noticed my flower vases were missing, but I figured Jay had just moved them while unloading the dishwasher. No big deal.

When Jay finally got back, he took forever to get ready. I started to get anxious again. We were supposed to do a wine tasting at Chateau Elan, and our tickets were for 1:00 pm. Jay reassured me we’d be on time.

The Drive

We drove for a while. I had been to Chateau Elan once before, 2 years ago, but this route felt different. I figured maybe we were just taking a new way, as I remembered heading straight north before, and now we were heading northeast. I tried not to overthink it.

Eventually, we passed a sign for a different vineyard. That’s when Jay turned to me and said, “I know this isn’t Chateau Elan, but I hope this is a nice surprise.” I smiled, truly excited. I love wine tastings, and I was thrilled to try a new spot. Jay told me the reservation was actually for 2:00 pm, not 1:00, and since we were early, we could grab a bottle of wine and walk around the vineyard.

While I touched up my lipstick in the bathroom, Jay grabbed us a bottle of white wine. We strolled through the vineyard, sipping and chatting. My heels started sinking into the red clay, so we went back to the car to swap them for my cute white sandals.

The Moment

As we continued walking, I suddenly saw a setup of red flowers (and my missing vases). Jay offered his arm and led me down the row toward the beautiful setup. At the end, he got down on one knee and asked, “Diya Girimaji, will you marry me?”

I said yes through the tears I didn’t even expect. I’d thought I might be too prepared for the moment to cry, but there I was, overwhelmed and sobbing, hugging and kissing Jay, bursting with joy. Then, a few minutes later, Jay pointed down the row and asked, “Who’s that?”

I looked up and saw Ariel (my childhood best friend turned professional wedding photographer) snapping photos at the end of the row. Cue more tears. She ran towards us, crying and congratulating us both. That’s when I pieced it all together: the “family friend’ from the airport was actually her. The cooler Jay took? Full of my vases. Jay had given her his car so she could set everything up ahead of time.

The Perfect Day.

The whole proposal was executed beautifully. Jay nailed it. The vineyard (Wolf Mountain Vineyards) was lush and green, with mountains in the background. The staff was kind and accommodating, and it truly felt like a dream. We spent hours there, sipping wine, eating, and FaceTiming our family and friends. Later that evening, we returned to Atlanta. Ariel took golden hour photos at Jackson Street Bridge with our dogs, Raise and Alastor.

Jay and I ended the night with tapas and drinks, reflecting on the day. It was everything I could have dreamed of and more. I wish I could bottle it all up and stay in that moment forever, but more than anything, I’m just so grateful. Grateful for Jay, for Ariel, for love, and for that perfect “yes”. I can’t wait to spend forever with Jay by my side.

Photos by Pictures with Ariel: