Engaged!!!

Here is a song that fits this occasion perfectly.  You can listen as you view the pictures!

On Friday, June 24, 2011 at 7:00 in the evening, Alan proposed to my sister Allison. The proposal took place at The Plymouth Lighthouse on Lake Martin. Allison was told that she and Alan were going to Willow Point for dinner on the lake but had to stop by the Lighthouse on their way to get some measurements for Alan's sister Meghan (who is a wedding planner in Birmingham) for a wedding she was fictitiously orchestrating the next day.

Above was their view of the lighthouse as they docked their boat. At this point, she believed that they were there solely to get the measurements before going to dinner. 

Above is what she saw as they approached the lighthouse. She still thought that all this was for the wedding that was supposedly taking place the next day.  At this point she was telling Alan how pretty the decorations were and asking him to call his sister again so they could hurry up and leave for dinner.  Still, not a clue.

Then Alan asked her what the purpose of a lighthouse is. She answered him correctly, "It is to help guide ships to safe harbor." He always likes to test her with trivia questions, so she just thought he was wasting time until he could get in touch with Meghan.

Then he asked her,  "What else in our lives acts as a lighthouse, guiding us to safety?"  And she answered, "Jesus." Then it hit her...  She knew it was all for her.

He led her up the steps to a Bible where he had her married name monogrammed at the bottom.  He talked to her about how he wants to be a lighthouse for her and spoke of how, to him, the lighthouse represents Jesus in that he will be a guide for their marriage and life together.

He read a beautiful scripture.  Matthew 5:14-16

He asked her to marry him...

And, she said YES!!!

 A photographer was hidden to capture the whole thing!

 Alan told Allison that instead of going to Willow Point for dinner, they would be going to Springhouse. It is her absolute favorite place to eat on the lake. He also told her that our parents were not able to come down due to my dad having to work, so it would just be the two of them....  She believed him.

Alan's 2nd surprise:  The families waiting at Springhouse Restaurant!  We couldn't wait to see her!  We had known since March that this was going to take place, and one can only keep a secret for so long! I was about to bust!

Allison told the whole story... thus far.  She was beaming!!!

The Cease, Stewart and Laney families shared a wonderful dinner at Springhouse, and I mean wonderful.  I don't know that I have ever tasted a more delicious entree.

Mrs. Cease framed a picture of the lighthouse with date of the proposal in script.  It is beautiful!  Little did Allison know, the night wasn't over yet...

After dinner, Alan and Allison headed back to the lakehouse by boat.  She thought they were going to Alan's parents' lakehouse, where we were all staying the night.  The Shaw's, close friends of the Cease's, have a lakehouse as well, where we all had driven from dinner and were waiting for the 3rd and final surprise!  Mrs. Shaw had the walkway from where Allison and Alan would dock the boat to the gazebo lit with lanterns.  Allison knew something was up when they approached the dock.  Once they got to the gazebo, she couldn't believe her eyes...  Alan had (with the help of our family and his of course) reserved Samford's Reid Chapel for April 14, 2012, the date they will be married.  It is exactly the place and timing that she had hoped for!  She was speechless!  

The night came to a close at the Shaw's, where we celebrated with homemade ice cream, cake and a champagne toast!

We gave Allison a few gifts to kick-start her engagement and wedding planning!  

The night was long and we were up late, but never too tired for fun on the lake the next day!

Congratulations to these two!  I couldn't be happier for my sister - my best friend.  It will be an honor to stand beside her on her wedding day.  Let the planning begin!