OLIVIA + BROCK

photo | Sloane Photo by Shannon Wilson

OLIVIA + BROCK

Sunset beach proposal

My fiancé and I had a beach trip planned in July with two other couples. We were all heading down to Seagrove, Florida, for a whole week of rest, relaxation and sunshine. The length of our stay would fall on my birthday, too! What better way to spend your birthday than at the beach! I knew that one of the couples we were sharing the beach house with had lots of talk about engagement. They already had the engagement ring bought, talked about it being a destination wedding and what month it could fall in. Everything was pretty much planned BUT the actual proposal. I was VERY adamant that he was going to propose to her on the beach. Dead set. I would talk talk talk to my fiancé (then boyfriend) about it along with the other couple. “Do you think he’s going to do it tonight when we take a walk on the beach?!” “Are her nails done?” “I wonder how he’s going to do it!” The conversations flowed so naturally – I never second guessed the possibility that I was going to be the one getting proposed to on this trip.

We had all originally planned on taking group pictures on the Friday before we left. The all white, super tan, kneeling/standing/sitting on the beach pictures. I call them the “beach cult pictures.” If you know, you know. My fiancé told me that plans had changed and we were going to take them on Monday instead. I was not pleased. Monday?! I wouldn’t even be at my most tan on Monday! I started to refuse to go. “No, y’all can just go, and I’ll stay here. I won’t be ready in time… I just showered… y’all go.” Looking back on it now I’m sure he was squirming trying to figure out how the heck to get me down to the beach. With a little coaxing from the girls in the group I reluctantly got ready. The girls texted the group message saying they were going to go ahead and walk down to the beach and meet us. Again, didn’t think ANYTHING of it.

As I walked down the stairs I noticed that the kitchen looked like whoever was in there last dropped everything and ran. The tv was still on, food was in my fiancé’s god daughter’s high chair, all the lights were still on… STILL didn’t think ANYTHING of it.

Brock and I walked down to the beach right at sunset surveying around us as we took the steps onto the sand looking for our friends. We kept walking and walking until I finally stopped and asked where in the world they were. Brock wouldn’t answer me but kept checking his phone. I noticed something out of the corner of my left eye. It looked like a pile of rocks. As I walked closer, I noticed there we little votive candles in this “pile of rocks.” My heart dropped. Was this for me?! Was he going to propose?! Surly not… he said we would wait closer until when I make the move from Texas to Arkansas to be with him. My heart was beating out of my chest. It was in the shape of a heart with votives and seashells alternating. Inside the heart spelled out “Marry me?” in seashells of different sizes. My heart was now beating so loud I could hear it in my ears…This has to be for us! Oh, how romantic to be proposed to on the beach!… until he walked right past it.

Brock stopped ahead of me, looked around and then told me that our friends were back the way that we just came. “Are you kidding me… why don’t you just call them to figure out where they are instead of waiting for them to text you back.” He trailed behind me as I picked up my pace heading back to where we originally started from. When I realized he wasn’t next to me, I turned around to see him stopped at the spot where the beautiful proposal was. Instantly my knees went weak and my palms started sweating. It was really happening… the man of my dreams was down on one knee asking me to spend the rest of my life with him.