Labor of Love

It was Labor Day 2013, the eve of the two year anniversary of our first meet, date, kiss and all that jazz and a rather uneventful day, until..... Rick popped the question!

We had enjoyed a lovely cozy morning filled with lots of hugs and kisses and then a productive afternoon independent of one another. I was cleaning an antique desk I had found recently at a flea market, that now has a special place in my home office/ our guest room, so I had black gunk under my fingernails. He was watching the US Open and going through newspapers and paper work in our living room.

Rick asked me two things that in hindsight were a little unusual, but with Rick I often expect the unusual, so I really didn’t think much of it. Had I suspected I was going to be proposed to I may have opted to, um...  shower. My ice cream loving guy, initiated a walk to get frozen yogurt. He knew I’d wanted to try the place in our town, so I was psyched to try this after a dinner of leftover pizza for him and a frozen Lean Cuisine for me. He also asked me if I’d watch an episode of The Six Million Dollar Man with him. I am sure I rolled my eyes as I reluctantly agreed, hoping it was a sweet episode at least and that is why he wanted to share it with me.

After our neighborhood walk and the fro yo was fetched and enjoyed, we returned home and cuddled up on the love seat and started the program that had been saved on our DVR. It was the episode where The Six Million Dollar Man was reunited with his love, the woman who would later become The Bionic Woman. Towards the end of the show, the woman comments that it might not be so bad being the bride of Frankenstein. Then the man says, are you planning to get married? And she says, I don’t think it would be so bad. He says, “Don’t you have to be asked?” A line Rick had so cleverly worked into a conversation we had earlier in the day. She answers, "I suppose." And then the man on TV half turns to the woman and says, “so will ya?”. Three words that every woman longs to hear and that have changed my life forever.  Without missing a beat, Rick hits pause on the remote control and half turns to me and with his big blues eyes wide open and the sweetest grin that filled his whole face, says “So will ya?” On cue I say what she says—"so will I what???"

Next he goes to the drawer of the table next to him and pulls out a box. He opens the box, I see a ring, I like it. I am relieved! Whew. It’s pretty, interesting and Celtic looking. I like! Rick quickly says, don’t get your hopes up, it’s just a place holder. It’s a ring he got from a bubble gum machine years ago, for $1.50, because he jokes it took him six tries. The ring fits the second finger on my left hand perfectly and will rest there until we get to go shopping for my engagement ring!

We toasted, sipping pink champagne from my Edinburgh Crystal.

The next day we celebrated our anniversary, starting with cocktails at Frost, the new ice bar in Boston. Very cool.  Then we enjoyed an amazing dinner, great service and spectacular views of the city of Boston at Top of the Hub. After dinner we had a nightcap in their lounge and enjoyed live music performed by a trio of musicians. It was a wonderful celebration and a perfect evening to mark this amazing milestone in our lives.

Thanks to all those who love, like and support us, your congratulations and well wishes mean the world to us.

xo,

Tammy

Photo credit: Studio Nouveau

Planning Marriage Proposals

We are fast approaching engagement season. While of course it is okay to propose any ol' day of the year, statistically most marriage proposals take place between Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day. I was at dinner with a dear friend last night and she asked me why? My answer was speculation, but I believe it to be the case, because there are so many wonderful moments throughout the holidays, it's easy to attach a proposal to any one of them. It's easy to obtain parental blessings in person, which is a sweet and sincere sentiment and lastly you'll be able to share this news with friends and family in person vs. a phone call, text message or facebook status.

So with this on the minds of many *men, we want to help ease the proposal planning process with practical advice and creative ideas on how to plan the story which will be recounted for years to come. Proposers: First of all congratulations of finding the key to your lock (thanks to Dana of Deposit a Gift for sharing this brilliant analogy!) and kudos to you for realizing it is time to act. I hope you will find this series a great resource as you plan to take this momentous step. If there is an area you would like me to address specifically in regards to planning your engagement, please feel free to comment on this post or email me directly at tammy@tammygolson.com.

Much like planning a wedding, one of the early things to take into consideration is where you would like to propose to your partner. Consider her interests, hobbies and passions. What places are significant to your relationship? Would she prefer a private proposal or would she be comfortable with the attention a public proposal may generate? Time of year and weather may seem trivial but can actually weigh heavily on the experience and should not be overlooked.

Fantastic wedding photographer, Christian Oth published an excellent interactive list of Great New York City Street Locations. This tool serves as a great resource for those looking for a place to propose.

Check out the proposal pictured above that documented by wedding photographer Parris Whittingham.

If you are engaged or married, please share your proposal story. What stands out most in your memory?

Photo courtesy of: Parris Whittingham Photography


*The men could be women and the he's she's in this post and whenever we use pronouns to tell a story. We love our reader who are in same sex relationships and know their commitment proposals deserve the same thought and consideration.

It has been a productive and fun week of conferences, birthdays, meetings, site visits and new perspective clients. Thanks to Amy of Sugar Flower Cake Shop for inviting me to join her at the Ladies Who Launch conference entitled Dream It, Launch It, Live It at 82 Mercer. Joan Lunden, Martha Beck, Alexandra W. Wilson of the ever popular shopping site Gilt Groupe and Carley Roney co-founder and Editor in Chief of The Knot were among the speakers. The exercises that stood out prompted me to think about what my business and life would look like three years from today. Have you thought about this? The next exercise had me write down my goals for the next 90 days. Sharing both assignments motivated me to evaluate how I prioritize my time.

Celebrating three friends' birthdays made for a fun albeit exhausting week. These friends have all been instrumental to the success of business and the overall quality of my life as an entrepreneur. I am happy I was able to honor the three women. Simone and her husband have allowed me to store stuff at their house while I was in transition. She is a dear friend and also mother to two of my smallest and blondest friends in New York. I had to much fun at Ana's birthday party. She hosted some of my industry favorites at her true neighborhood gem, Cafe Forant. The owners kindly closed the cafe doors so we could toast our friend. It was a blast! The last celebration of the week was for Amy. The pomegranate martinis and cheese were delicious but the interesting conversations were what provided the takeaways of the evening. For example, did you know that the best places to be fitted for a bra in New York is Town Shop? Infants can and should start gymnastics at as young as four months. It actually helps promote good health and prevent ear infections. Lastly, many seem to have personal trainers and apparently the key is to making sure he is good looking. Having someone you like looking at holding you accountable makes working out on a regular basis more realistic.

With lots of interesting projects in the pipeline, I am excited about the possible outcome of a meeting I had yesterday, which will force me to run out and get the good looking trainer I referenced in the above paragraph. Meanwhile, I've been looking through the most beautiful pictures from a fabulous October wedding photographed by Brian Dorsey Studios. A talk on Personal Branding, my first Toastmasters meeting and consulting with a designer on the holiday cards she is custom designing for my business were all great uses of my time this past week. Want to get married in Brooklyn and haven't found your venue yet? Don't worry, I've seen some great new spaces I'll be sharing soon.

With Thanksgiving around the corner comes engagement season. Do you know anyone about to propose? I'll be providing resources to plan the perfect proposal in the weeks to come. Welcome to my new followers, it's humbling to know you have made the effort to check in. I appreciate your time and thank you.

On a personal note, I am starting to prepare for a move. I am excited to start 2011 with a new zip code and a space to make all my own. The details are not ironed out yet. Brooklyn or Manhattan? That is to tbd.

Have a great weekend!



Photo courtesy of Brian Dorsey Studios.

Romantic Proposals

Tamra and Michael's love story is featured on Merci New York today!

Michael planned a fantastic proposal. He moved her (now their) dog Bella from Texas to New York as a surprise! The story was featured in the fall issue of Sophisticated Groom.

The couple's black and white New York City wedding at Gramercy Park Hotel earlier this month was positively magnificent. They enlisted the services of some of the city's finest wedding professionals. I was honored to be among the best there is. More about the wedding in a later post. I am happy their story is being celebrated today and on one of the bride's favorite wedding blogs. Brian Dorsey did a remarkable job capturing Tamra and Michael's spirit and their love.




Congratulations Tamra and Michael! Thank you for bringing me on board your wedding planning journey. You two were such a wonderful bride and groom, I look forward to seeing those photos. I hope you had an amazing honeymoon!

Photos courtesy of Brian Dorsey

Will you...

...need help planning a proposal that is thoughtful and appropriate for your relationship- one that will not require an x-ray after? Contact me and together we can create an original way for you to pop the question-- a story that perhaps The Today Show will not cover, but one your fiancee will cherish forever!